William Chapman, who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, was a former child actor.
He appeared in ITV’s May Contain Nuts and the BBC series True Stories.
William was pronounced dead following the tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday, October 10.
South Yorkshire Police said his family had been informed and was receiving support from specialist officers. Staff affected by the incident were also receiving specialist support, the park said.
Meanwhile, the park has confirmed that Altai, the Amur tiger involved, is safe and will not be put down.
Child actor William Chapman’s television career
William played Alfie Chaplin in May Contain Nuts, a two-part ITV comedy drama broadcast in 2009. His character was the younger son of parents played by Shirley Henderson and Darren Boyd.
Shirley is also known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films.
The drama followed parents determined to secure places for their children at the best school. William mainly appeared in scenes centred on the family at home.
His other screen credit was the young Edward Jenner in BBC educational series True Stories in 2012. Jenner went on to pioneer the smallpox vaccine.
According to The Sun, William attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe. The newspaper said he made no further professional film or television appearances after those two childhood roles.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park health and safety investigation
South Yorkshire Police received reports of a man entering the tiger enclosure at 1.35pm on October 10. Officers said William was believed to have been visiting the park alone.
Emergency services attended, but medical teams were unable to save him.
The Sun reported that rangers fired warning shots to move Altai away. The animal then retreated to a shelter, where he was secured. Visitors were evacuated following the attack.
City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the incident.
Dan Swaine, the council’s executive director of place, confirmed the authority was acting under its statutory duties. The council is responsible for licensing Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
It is working with police and health agencies, and supporting the park following the incident.
The authority said it would not comment further on the individual or investigation and requested privacy for those involved.
What do you think of this story? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know. We want to hear your thoughts.