The father of actress Sophia Myles has died after being treated for coronavirus.

Myles, best known for roles in Underworld, Doctor Who and Moonlight, confirmed the news in a tweet on Saturday.

She said: “RIP Peter Myles. My dear Dad died only a few hours ago. It was the (coronavirus) that finally took him.”

The 40-year-old, from London, had posted messages and videos on Twitter updating her followers about her father’s illness and subsequent treatment in hospital.

Earlier on Saturday, she shared a photo of her father on a respirator, along with the caption: “Yesterday I went on a journey to see my father. This is the harsh reality of the Coronavirus.”

And in a video message, she thanked people for their support, saying: “I just wanted to send a really short message to say thank you all so, so, so much for all your lovely, lovely tweets to me.

“I am sorry I am not able to reply to everyone in person but thank you. Every single one that comes through, I am so touched.”

Myles said a film crew from US broadcaster CBS had filmed her meeting her father on Friday, and the footage would air on Monday.

Idris Elba, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Daniel Dae Kim, Olga Kurylenko and US talk show host Andy Cohen are among the celebrities who have tested positive for the virus.

A representative of Myles has been contacted for comment.