Mel Smith death: Friends pay tribute to comic

Comic actor and writer Mel Smith has died of a heart attack, his agent has confirmed.

The British comedian - known for the sketch shows Alas Smith and Jones and Not The Nine O'Clock News - died at his home on Friday, Michael Foster said.

Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to the 60-year-old, with his on-screen partner Griff Rhys Jones describing him as a "gentleman and a scholar, a gambler and a wit."