Actor Eric Sykes has died, aged 89, according to his manager Norma Farnes.
Speaking this morning, she said: "Eric Sykes, 89, star of TV, stage and films died peacefully this morning after a short illness.
"His family were with him."
The Lancashire actor, who began his career in the Fifties, writing and performing on radio, went on to carve a niche in television and film, including the popular TV series Sykes And A... with Hattie Jacques and Sykes.
Known for both his aptitude for visual slapstick gags - typified by The Plank - and more subtle character acting, he also played a number of memorable supporting roles on the big screen, in films as wide ranging as The Others, Son Of Rambow and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. He also provided the "Teletubbies" sign off at the end of each episode of the children's favourite.
He once said: "I'm proud of being a vaudevillian, the last of my line. A lot of people think my entertainment is candy-floss. Well, entertainment is too aggressive these days, all in your face!"
He was awarded the OBE in 1986 and made a CBE in 2005. Despite having a stroke in 2002, he continued to write - penning three novels - and keep on acting. His last role was in Agatha Christie's Poirot in 2010.
He is survived by his wife Edith Milbrandt and his children Katherine, Susan, Julie and David.
