Doctor Who companion Mary Tamm dies aged 62

Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm died this morning after a battle against cancer. She was 62.

Tamm, who played the Doctor's companion Romana alongside Tom Baker, died at hospital in London.

Barry Langford her agent of 22 years, said:

Mr Langford said Tamm had been saddened by the recent deaths of contemporaries Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who, and Angharad Rees, who died last weekend.

He added: "All of these people who she knew were going."

Tamm leaves husband Marcus Ringrose, daughter Lauren and seven-year-old grandson Max. She had been suffering from cancer for 18 months.

Tamm's husband paid tribute to her "sheer talent". Mr Ringrose said:

The actress was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, the daughter of Estonian refugees, and had a long career on stage and screen. As well as Doctor Who, she starred in films The Odessa File and The Likely Lads and had recurring roles in soaps Brookside and EastEnders.

Tamm, who lived in Battersea, south London, trained at Rada. Her first professional job was at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre where she worked alongside Derek Jacobi, Joan Sims and Ronnie Barker. From there she moved on to television work and film, her first feature film being Tales That Witness Madness with Kim Novak.

She recently starred in Wire In The Blood, Paradise Heights and Jonathan Creek, with stage work including Amanda in Private Lives and Beverley in Abigail's Party. Her autobiography was published three years ago.

Actress Helen Lederer, a friend of Tamm's, said: "Mary was such an energised, talented woman with a great twinkle in her eye and she was so very beautiful."