Tommy Deakin was an Irish-born rag and bone man whose patch included Coronation Street, which he traded on from the Second World War until the early 1970s. His business was collecting and selling scrap, using a cart pulled by his donkey Dolores. He was known for his ragamuffin appearance and cheeky manner. Tommy usually operated alone and was territorial over his patch. When he caught gypsies Reuben Ward and John Smith collecting junk in the Street, Tommy started a row but Ray Langton saved him from being thumped by Reuben.