Ward, who has played Forensic Pathologies Dr Harry Cunningham since 2002, will exit after his final episode airs later this month.

The two-part episode, And Then I Fell in Love, sees Harry move in with close friend and colleague Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) when a gas explosion in his flat leaves him temporarily homeless.

Kate Harwood, BBC Controller, Series and Serials Drama, commented: “Silent Witness owes a great debt to the talented Tom Ward, who has given us our beloved Harry with wit, style and passion to Silent Witness for ten seasons. We will miss him so much and wish him all the best for his future.”

Filming on Series 16 is currently underway for transmission in early 2013, with two new characters joining the cast.

Are you going to miss Tom Ward on the show? Let us know below…

> Buy the Series 13-14 DVD boxset on Amazon.

Watch the Series 15 trailer…