Vicar of Dibley star Trevor Peacock dies at 89

Trevor Peacock played Jim Trott alongside Vicar of Dibley co-star Liz Smith as Letitia Cropley

The Vicar Of Dibley actor Trevor Peacock has died aged 89, his agent has confirmed.

The actor played the lovable but bumbling Jim Trott in the comedy series alongside its main star Dawn French.

His family said in statement: "Trevor Peacock, actor, writer and song-writer, died aged 89 on the morning of March 8th from a dementia-related illness."

Parish council member Jim won viewers' hearts with his catchphrase of "no no no no..." and his cheeky innuendo.

Peacock appeared in every episode of the BBC sitcom from 1994 to 2015, although he missed the recent Christmas special.

French tweeted a short but emotional post: "Night Trev. I love you."

Although most famous for the long-running Vicar of Dibley, Peacock was also an accomplished Shakespearean actor, starring in a number of BBC productions including Titus Andronicus, Twelfth Night and Henry V.

The actor also appeared in the 1990 movie version of Hamlet and a 2000 production of Don Quixote.

And he was a successful musician and songwriter. He appeared with the Beatles in a 1964 television special Around the Beatles, and wrote a number of pop hits.

Dawn French's character Geraldine Grainger along with Trevor Peacock as Jim Trott in one of the sitcom's tricky situations

Paying tribute, his agents Scott Marshall Partners said on Twitter: "Remembering our wonderful client Trevor Peacock who died peacefully yesterday. A comic genius and one of the very best humans. We will miss him hugely."

The BBC said: "We're saddened to hear of the death of actor Trevor Peacock."

TV channel Gold said the actor had "played Jim Trott so brilliantly in The Vicar of Dibley".

Born in Edmonton, north London, 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.

Trevor Peacock starred in the BBC's 1985 adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus

Peacock was the brains behind songs including Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter by Herman's Hermits, Made You by Adam Faith and Billy Fury's Stick Around.

His lyrics were also used by The Vernons Girls, with Peacock writing their hits You Know What I Mean and Funny All Over.

He also wrote the lyrics for a musical based on The Mirror's Andy Capp cartoon strip.

Peacock also made appearances in EastEnders, Jonathan Creek and sitcom My Family, and in 2007 appeared in the film Fred Claus, opposite Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, playing the father of Father Christmas.

He had a long relationship with the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and performed in several productions there.

He also wrote a number of musicals, including Leaping Ginger (1977), Cinderella (1979), Class K (1985) and Jack And The Giant (1986).

Peacock is the fifth major cast member from the series to die in recent years. Roger Lloyd-Pack, who played Owen Newitt, died in 2014, while Liz Smith, who played Letitia Cropley, died in 2016. Emma Chambers, who played Geraldine's close chum Alice Tinker, and John Bluthal, who was Frank Pickle, both died in 2018.