COMIC great Eric Sykes has died at the age of 89.
The Oldham-born star has died after a short illness.
In a wide-ranging career, he will be remembered best for the long-running and widely acclaimed Sykes And A... TV series with Hattie Jacques.
But he also had a role in the long-running series Last Of The Summer Wine and filmed on sets around Holmfirth.
He featured in the 2006 series of Last Of The Summer Wine, joining regulars including Peter Sallis, Jean Alexander, Tom Owen and Frank Thornton.
Sykes played a character called Doggie, who invited the elderly characters in the show to share the delights of his stag night.
Producer Alan J W Bell said: “Eric loved the script and arrived on set with a definite view of how Doggie should be played.
“He was perfect.”
Sykes also wrote scripts for stars such as Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd and Stanley Unwin.
His manager, Norma Farnes, said: “Eric Sykes, 89, star of TV, stage and films died peacefully this morning after a short illness.
“His family were with him.”
Sykes began his career writing for BBC Radio shows such as Educating Archie and Variety Bandbox.
His first TV appearance came in the 1950s, but he is best known for his work with the late Hattie Jacques.
The pair played brother and sister in a series called Sykes And A...., which ran for many years through the 1960s and 1970s.
He also appeared in films including Heavens Above, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines and Monte Carlo Or Bust.
