Dean Gaffney badly hurt in car crash
Former EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney is receiving treatment in hospital after being seriously injured in a car crash.
The 34-year-old actor, who played Robbie Jackson in the soap, suffered head injuries after hitting the central reservation of a Derbyshire road.
He is being treated at a hospital in Derby, but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police said: "We can confirm that a 34-year-old man was involved in a collision on the A38 at around 10.45pm last night. There was just one car involved that hit the central reservation. He was taken to Royal Derby Hospital where he received treatment for head injuries but those injuries aren't thought to be life-threatening."
Part of the A38 was closed for nearly three hours after the crash and the car, which was not driveable after the accident, removed from the area.
A spokeswoman for the hospital would not comment on the incident.
Friends of the actor, who has also appeared in The Bill and Ricky Gervais's Extras, took to Twitter to wish him well.
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Many feared he was critically ill before the news that his injuries were not life-threatening, and offered their support and thoughts for his recovery.
Actor Tamer Hassan wrote: "Can we all pray for my good friend Dean Gaffney who has just had a bad car accident and is fighting for his life."
A comment left by Steven Van Der Lammie said: "Whenever I've worked with Dean Gaffney, he's always been so kind and funny... I really hope he pulls through his car accident! x"
Danny Panthaki said of the actor: "Hearing that Dean Gaffney was in a very serious car crash last night. Hope he pulls through. A top, genuine guy."
Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.