Who played Mr Carnegie, the health inspector in Basil the Rat?

John Quarmby played Mr Carnegie, the health inspector, in “Basil the Rat.”

Mr Carnegie arrives at Fawlty Towers for an official inspection, creating a serious threat to Basil’s already precarious hotel. His detailed report identifies grimy equipment, poor storage practices, damaged surfaces and other breaches of food-hygiene standards. Basil’s panic is intensified because Manuel’s pet rat, also called Basil, is loose in the hotel.

The casting can be confused because the episode features several memorable supporting characters and because “Basil the Rat” is often remembered primarily for the animal, not the inspector. Quarmby’s character is specifically Mr Carnegie, the local health inspector—not a member of the hotel staff.

John Quarmby was an English character actor whose television career included appearances in “Z-Cars,” “Callan,” “Porridge” and “Juliet Bravo.” He also appeared in the television film “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” “Basil the Rat” was part of the second series of Fawlty Towers, broadcast in 1979.