Hornby was the longest-serving cast member in Emmerdale's history.
He had not been in the ITV soap for around three months due to ill health.

Hornby first appeared in Emmerdale on February 19 1980 and was still in the soap 28 years later.

He was initially offered a three-month contract as farmer Jack Sugden.

The character was seen returning to the village after previously being played by Andrew Burt.

Devoted family man and farmer Sugden married three times and had five children.

Emmerdale series producer Anita Turner said: "This is a devastating loss and we are all deeply saddened.

"Clive will be greatly missed by everyone who has worked with him on Emmerdale during the past 28 years.

"He was a hugely popular and well-respected member of cast and a terrific actor. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Hornby was born and raised in Liverpool and started his working life as an accounts clerk.

In the 1960s he went on to enjoy success as a drummer with pop group The Dennisons.

The band were compared to and played on the same bill as The Beatles at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club.

When the group split to pursue other projects, Hornby turned his attention to acting, attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before going into repertory theatre.

He appeared in army sitcom Get Some In!, Gerry Anderson's Space 1999 and Minder alongside George Cole.

Hornby, who died after suffering from an illness, requested that details relating to his health were not published.

Jack was the son of Jacob and Annie Sugden, whose family owned Emmerdale Farm since early in the show.

His character started out as a ladies' man, marrying teenage sweetheart Pat in 1982.

Their marriage hit a rocky patch in 1984 when Pat discovered he had been having an affair, but they stayed together and had a son.

In 1986, Pat was killed in a car crash and his widower brought up their baby on his own.

His character went on to have brief affairs with married women before tying the knot with mobile librarian Sarah Connolly (Madeleine Howard) in 1994.

His second wife died in a barn fire, and Sugden was arrested for her murder before being released when the real culprit was discovered.

Sugden later married pub landlady Diane (Elizabeth Estensen), who was nearly killed in a house collapse in 2006.

Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard in the soap, paid tribute to the star.

He said: "Clive meant everything to everyone... He had a wicked sense of humour which I always appreciated.

"There was an occasion where Pollard was having his stag night before the marriage to his second wife, and was drunk as the proverbial skunk.

"I had a page and a half of Pollard dialogue and everyone knew I was quaking in my boots.

"Both Clive and Frazer (Hines) took the mick out of me quite disgracefully. It was a great, fun day.

"He was a very private and courageous man and not only a great contributor to the show but also to all our lives. He was a great guy and therefore will obviously be missed."

Turner said: "Losing Clive is an enormous blow to everyone both here at Emmerdale and at ITV.

"Clive was the heart of the show, not just because he was the longest-serving member of cast but also because he was such an exceptional man.

"He loved Emmerdale and we talked long and hard about how he would return to the show. The last time I saw him was on Tuesday and even then we were joking about how he would just walk into the green room and surprise everyone.

"He brought real heart to the character of Jack Sugden and that's not an easy thing to do when you work as hard as he did on our soap.

"His portrayal of a farmer was utterly believable and he never looked happier to me than when he was there on the farm with his sleeves rolled up saving a sheep or just leaning on a fence looking out over the Dales.

"It meant that Jack was a wonderful everyman - farmer, father, lover, husband. Jack was the benchmark against which everything else could be judged in Emmerdale.

"Clive was an incredibly private man but that didn't stop him having time for others. He was warm, I found him very wise about life and the show, and he had a fabulous sense of humour.

"He was a consummate professional - never late, never moaned, always considerate to his fellow colleagues no matter who they were or their role within the show.

"I remember he would spend as much time talking to the gang in the print room as he would with any exec. He was a true people person.

"I have always said that Emmerdale is a family. Today we lost our father."