Kenneth Clifford Earl (29 August 1933 – 30 July 2015) was an English actor who appeared in numerous television programmes and films.

Early years

Earl was born in Romney Marsh, Kent, England. He carried out his National Service in a medical role. After leaving the military he embarked on an acting career, often playing policemen and soldiers.

Acting career

Earl appeared in the TV series Doctor Who twice: as the Station Sergeant in The Daleks' Master Plan in 1965, and as Major Branwell in The Invasion in 1968. He also appeared in the films The Haunted House of Horror (1969), Scream and Scream Again (1970) and The Sea Wolves (1980).

Personal life

In 1953, aged 19, Earl was among the servicemen who volunteered to take part in experiments at the Porton Down military research centre which he believed were related to the common cold but in fact involved exposure to nerve agents such as sarin. Unknown to Earl at the time, in the same sequence of tests another serviceman, Ronald Maddison, died soon after exposure to the poison. Much later, in 1999, police began Operation Antler to investigate the experiments; on learning of this, Earl founded the Porton Down Veterans Support Group. Earl suffered from spinal problems, prostate cancer, and other illnesses.

Selected filmography