Coltrane also appeared in ITV detective drama Cracker and the James Bond films Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough before being made an OBE in the 2006 New Year’s honours list for his services to drama. In 2011, he was awarded the Bafta Scotland Award for outstanding contribution to film.

Following his death, his Harry Potter co-stars paid tribute to “one of the funniest people” they had ever met.

“I’ve especially fond memories of him keeping our spirits up on Prisoner of Azkaban, when we were all hiding from the torrential rain for hours in Hagrid’s hut and he was telling stories and cracking jokes to keep morale up,” said Daniel Radcliffe in a statement.

“I feel incredibly lucky that I got to meet and work with him and very sad that he’s passed. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”

Robbie Coltrane death: tributes paid to the beloved Harry Potter actor after he died aged 72