Eric Sykes - Eric Sykes Dead At 89

The veteran funnyman penned skits for stars including Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, and worked on the groundbreaking radio comedy programme The Goon Show in the 1950s.

In the 1960s he shot to fame with his own TV comedy series on the Bbc and enjoyed huge success on British TV throughout the 1970s.

He also landed roles in movies including Absolute Beginners, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying MAChines, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but is best remembered for his 1967 film The Plank, about two hapless workmen delivering timber to a building site.

In later years, Sykes had sporadic cameo roles in British shows and continued working until as recently as 2010, when he appeared in an episode of U.K. drama series Agatha Christie: Poirot.

Sykes passed away on Wednesday (04Jul12) after a short illness.

His manager, Norma Farnes, tells the Bbc, "Eric Sykes, star of TV, stage and films, died peacefully this morning after a short illness. His family were with him."