H is for... Hilred

A commander of the Chancellery Guard in the Capitol on Gallifrey who was tasked by Castellan Spandrell with apprehending the occupant of an obsolete Type-40 TT capsule which had landed illegally on the day of the Presidential Resignation ceremony. Despite advance warning of its materialisation, the occupant was able to give Hilred and his men the slip. This was, of course, the Doctor, who had come to his home planet after receiving a telepathic summons - and a vision of the President's assassination. The Doctor failed to prevent the shooting, and was arrested by Hilred. The commander later interrogated the Doctor, who was first able to convince Spandrell that he had been set up, then to remain at liberty after invoking his right to be considered for election as new President. The real assassin was unmasked as Chancellor Goth, working at the behest of the Master. He died after a mental duel with the Doctor in the Matrix, and it appeared that the Master then took his own life. Dissatisfied with Hilred's efforts up to now, Spandrell sent him to destroy the bodies of Goth and the Master to conceal the true nature of their deaths - something he felt was well within the commander's capabilities as they were already dead. Ironically, Hilred failed even at this, as the Master had feigned his demise. He killed Hilred with his Tissue Compression Eliminator weapon.

Played by: Derek Seaton. Appearances: The Deadly Assassin (1976).

• Sadly, Seaton died only three years after this performance, at the age of 35 following a brain haemorrhage. He had previously featured in ITV soap Coronation Street, and was married to comic actress Paula Wilcox (Man About The House and Upstart Crow).