The wonderful Mollie Sugden has sadly died at the age of 86.

She died at the Royal Surrey Hospital after a long illness, her agent has been reported to have said.

She's  best known for playing Mrs Slocombe in the long-running British sitcom Are You Being Served? Some beautiful clips in this YouTube tribute below: 

She reprised this role in Grace and Favour, which ran from 1992 to 1993. During her career she also appeared in Coronation Street, The Liver Birds and That's My Boy.

More recently, she became the willing butt  of this long running gag on Little Britain, featuring Clive and his wife Liz who claims she  was a 'bridesmaid at Mollie Sugden's wedding' hummmmm?:

From RapidTalent's Industry Buzz reporter Jason Nicholls on 01/07/2009. More stories on our Google News stream