A much loved comedian at the forefront of British comedy for over 50 years has died - a victim of the Corona virus.

Tim Brooke-Taylor, OBE, who was 79, started as a member of the legendary Cambridge Footlights at university.

His first big television success was starring with John Cleese and Graham Chapman before their Monty Python days alongside Marty Feldman in the trendsetting At Last the 1948 Show.

He later partnered Feldman in his own pioneering and often controversial BBC-2 show Marty.

Tim's crazy radio creations including the unforgettable Lady Constance in the long running I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again. He then teamed with two of its co-stars Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie as the Goodies in a TV show that ran for over a decade.

At nearly 80 he was still making audiences laugh with his improvised 'near the knuckle' gags on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

In private life he was a popular resident of Cookham Dean - memorably teaming with residents in a successful battle to save the community pub The Jolly Farmer from closure.

He was president of Taplow's Thames Valley Adventure Playground which provides activities for children and adults with special needs.

For 11 years he chaired the annual Thames Valley Pub quiz championships run by Maidenhead Thames Rotary Club that raised thousands of pounds for the playground.

Past president of the Rotary Club John Carr said: "He was a lovely man, quiet unassuming, generous as well as being a much loved entertainer.

"He has fronted the quiz every year since never expecting any payment. He was superb. He would wander around the room having little conversations with the teams as he asked the questions. It became such a popular social event that we didn’t need to advertise. The reason was Tim.

"He is a great loss and I will miss him. He was a lovely man held in high esteem by everybody."

A message on the Thames Valley Adventure Playground website by trustees' chairman Alec Black said staff and volunteers were devastated.

He said: "For over 25 years he has been our president, our team mate and our friend. We will all miss the lovely man and the gentleman that we were proud to call our president."

Tim is survived by his wife Christine and sons Ben and Edward.