Vicar Of Dibley actor Trevor Peacock dies aged 89

Credit: PA

Actor Trevor Peacock has died at the age of 89.

In a statement, his family said he had died on Monday morning "from a dementia-related illness".

Peacock was best known for playing Jim Trott in the long running comedy series Vicar Of Dibley, winning legions of fans with his catchphrase of "no no no no..."

He first appeared opposite Dawn French in the BBC sitcom in its debut episode in 1994 and continued to appear in every episode until 2015.

French led tributes to the star, writing on Twitter: "Night Trev. Love you"

The comedian said: "Trev was the funniest, twinkliest, cleverest, warmest, cheekiest chap ever. He was so easy to love.

"We all loved him so much. I miss him already. My thoughts are with his beautiful family."

As well as his work on Dibley, Peacock also appeared in many of the BBC Shakespeare series, including the title role in Titus Andronicus.

Born in Edmonton, north London, in 1931, he started his TV career in the 1960s in the ITV Television Playhouse, Comedy Playhouse and The Wednesday Play.

He later played Rouault in Madame Bovary and Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop.

The actor also made appearances in EastEnders, Jonathan Creek and sitcom My Family.

Trevor Peacock's character was famous for his repetition of the word “No” and his frequent sexual references. Credit: PA

In 2007 Peacock appeared in the Hollywood film Fred Claus, opposite Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, playing the father of Father Christmas.

He was also an accomplished songwriter and wrote a number of hit songs including the 1960s track Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, which was recorded by Herman’s Hermits and Mystery Girl, recorded by Jess Conrad, as well as the lyrics for a number of hits by The Vernons Girls.

He had a long relationship with the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and performed in many productions there, as well as writing a number of musicals, including Leaping Ginger (1977), Cinderella (1979), Class K (1985) and Jack And The Giant (1986).