Alfred Sidney "Alf" Roberts, OBE is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Bryan Mosley.

The character first appeared on the programme in 1961 on a recurring basis, before finally becoming a regular in 1971 and remaining in the series until he died on 1 January 1999.

Alf became very close to Maggie Clegg (Irene Sutcliffe), who owned the corner shop on Coronation Street.

Alf was very hurt, doubly so when, she married wealthy businessman Ron Cooke and moved to Zaire shortly afterward.

Annie did a good job - she considered herself to be Weatherfield's First Lady - but her snobbishness and pretensions often infuriated and exasperated Alf.

After a lorry crashed into the pub in 1979, burying Alf under tons of wood, the couple re-assessed their lives.

It was while learning to drive that Renee stalled Alf's car at a red traffic light in a country lane.

Alf, who had been drinking, was unharmed and later told Ken Barlow (William Roache) that he felt guilty as seconds before Renee died, they were arguing about her driving and this was the last thing he ever said to her.

Alf inherited the shop from Renee, and, over the next few years, he watched Audrey Potter (Sue Nicholls) come and go.

Audrey was very unlike Maggie and Renee for she was an unashamed good-time girl, her heart as big as a man's wallet.

Alf continued to run the corner shop, with various assistants, including Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride).

Alf lost his council seat to his employee, Deirdre, in May 1987 and suffered a heart attack as a result.

Worn out from dancing, Alf slumped onto an armchair where he suffered a fatal massive stroke and died.

The character first appeared on the Street in 1961, working as a sorter at the post office alongside Frank Barlow.

All the Street's original fans have left to remind them of a better time is the chimneys, the music and Betty's hot-pot.

He has been to strip clubs with Ray Langton and Ernest Bishop, and he had a girlfriend called Donna Parker that no one in the street, only viewers, knew.

[5] An editor of an article produced by The Guardian following the character’s death claimed that "if you saw a hat at all in the Rovers, you knew Alf was under it".