Alf Roberts, OBE is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Bryan Mosley. He ran a grocery shop at No. 15 and was involved in local politics, including two spells as mayor of Weatherfield. The character first appeared on the programme in 1961 on a recurring basis, before finally becoming a regular in 1971 and remaining in the series until he died on 1 January 1999.

The character first appeared on the Street in 1961, working as a sorter at the post office alongside Frank Barlow. He appeared intermittently until 1967. Although occasionally mentioned, Alf was not seen again until 1971. When he returned, he continued to work at the post office, albeit now in a supervisor's role.

The character was written out of the show when actor Bryan Mosley became seriously ill. Mosley stressed that he "wanted to carry on" and "had no intentions of leaving". After Mosley fell ill in January 1998, he returned six months later in July insisting "The Street is in my blood. I'll never quit." Mosley was then forced to retire due to his ill health. A Granada spokesman claimed that "Bryan's one of the Street greats, and his send-off has to be one of its most moving scenes. That is just as he would wish."

After Alf was killed off, Mosley, who was five years younger than the character he portrayed, gave an interview where he expressed his disappointment at being forced out, refuting claims that he wasn't up to the demands of filming: "I feel like a new man, the best I have felt for three years, and I kept telling the producers I was getting better all the time." However, he understood the difficult position his colleagues were in: "When I came back, I was just pleased to be there, although I looked like something someone had dug up. I couldn't breathe properly. "It was a strain on everyone else because they thought: 'Is he going to drop dead, or what?' In fact, I looked iller than I was. But, of course, my appearance had changed so much." He clarified his feelings: "Now I will miss Alf. But I won't miss the schedule."

Mosley died of a heart attack on 9 February 1999, six weeks after his final appearance on the show.

Alf was married first to Phyllis, who was mentioned by name but never made an appearance on screen. She was engaged to Alf's brother but Alf crashed his car, causing his brother's death. Out of a sense of duty, he offered to marry Phyllis but the marriage was a loveless one. Nevertheless, he was very upset when she died of cancer in 1972.

Alf became very close to Maggie Clegg (Irene Sutcliffe), who owned the corner shop on Coronation Street. Attractive, sympathetic, and a good listener, she seemed to him to be the perfect wife. However, when he proposed, she gently turned him down, unable to marry someone she did not love just to avoid being lonely. Alf was very hurt, doubly so when, she married wealthy businessman Ron Cooke and moved to Zaire shortly afterward. In 1973, Alf needed a partner when he became mayor of Weatherfield so Annie Walker (Doris Speed), the social-climbing landlady of The Rovers Return Inn, invited herself to become Mayoress and Alf was forced to agree. Annie did a good job - she considered herself to be Weatherfield's First Lady - but her snobbishness and pretensions often infuriated and exasperated Alf.

In 1978, Alf married Renee Bradshaw (Madge Hindle), who now owned the corner shop. Theirs was an awkward courtship - Alf withdrew his first proposal, telling Renee that he had been drunk when he asked her - but when he proposed again, they married. The marriage seemed doomed from the start - Alf punched Renee's stepfather, Joe Hibbert, at the reception for suggesting that the only reason he had married Renee was to get the corner shop. Renee, however, made it clear that the shop was hers and Alf should continue to work at the post office. After a lorry crashed into the pub in 1979, burying Alf under tons of wood, the couple re-assessed their lives. They decided to buy a sub-post office in Grange-Over-Sands in 1980 and Renee took driving lessons. It was while learning to drive that Renee stalled Alf's car at a red traffic light in a country lane. While Alf got out of the car to change places, a lorry coming the other way hit the car and Renee was killed. Alf, who had been drinking, was unharmed and later told Ken Barlow (William Roache) that he felt guilty as seconds before Renee died, they were arguing about her driving and this was the last thing he ever said to her.