JOE BRADY, the Scots actor who rose to fame as Constable Jock Weir in the BBC's original flagship police series, Z Cars, has died in London. He was 72.

The series, which began filming in 1961, was innovative, ground-breaking, and paved the way for numerous future police series, serials, and soap operas.

In those early days it was filmed live - a thought so daunting it would probably fill today's actors, producers, and directors with absolute horror.

Z Cars also made household names, such as Jimmy Ellis, Brian Blessed, Frank Windsor, Stratford Johns, and Alan Bleasdale. Actresses such as Dame Judi Dench and Angela Douglas cut their TV teeth with small roles on the programme, which was set in the outskirts of Liverpool.

Ironically, many of the cast who will attend Joe's funeral tomorrow last got together, on television, in March to surprise Jimmy Ellis on Michael Aspel's This Is Your Life.

Joe's character played alongside Blessed, who as Fancy Smith, shared the same squad car with the legendary call sign ''Z Victor One''.

''Except,'' as Joe was to remark at the time, ''none of us could drive a car. Jimmy Ellis didn't even know you needed a provisional driving licence before you could sit your test.''

Joseph Brady was born in Bridgeton in Glasgow's east end on October 8, 1928. He was the youngest of five brothers and three sisters.

On leaving school he began working in a tannery in Duke Street. He was later to remark: ''It ruined my sense of smell for the rest of my life.''

He joined the merchant navy and spent five years travelling the world - but he always talked about having a go at acting.

On his return to Glasgow he enrolled in a three-year course at the city's drama college and in 1958 was named Best Comedy Actor and Most Promising Male Actor in his year.

From college Joe secured a year-long contract as an assistant stage manager at Glasgow's Citizens' Theatre. The next couple of years his talents took him to theatres throughout Scotland - a period of apprenticeship that was to prove so valuable when he was eventually cast in one of the principal roles in Z Cars.

''We were not worried about acting live for television,'' he'd often say. ''It was what every one of us was trained to do in the theatre.''

Joe was chosen for the role because he easily exuded the image of a tough Glaswegian. At the beginning of filming, however, he was asked to tone down his broad accent. A request he politely refused. He told the producer. ''I am not Gordon Jackson.''

Jimmy Ellis recalls: ''With me being Irish and Joe being Scottish, we hit it off straight away on the set. When we each discovered our fathers worked in the shipyards - his on Clydeside and mine at Cammel Laird - a firm and lasting friendship was formed.

After a break of about two years Jimmy Ellis and Joe Brady went back for another series of Z Cars while other members of the cast went on to the spin-off, Softly, Softly.

Joe's stage career was always something he cherished. It took him to the National in London and to the West End where he played opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Chekov's The Seagull.

Known throughout the business for his generosity and loyalty - he had the same agent for 40 years - Joe also appeared on film. One of his credits included a role in the Fourth Protocol with Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan.

In more recent times he had TV roles in Brideshead Revisited, Boon, The Bill, Casualty, and Taggart.

Joe is survived by his sister, Nessie.

Joe Brady, actor; born October 8, 1928, died June 12, 2001