Warren Mitchell, the actor best known for his portrayal of Alf Garnett in sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, has died.

Mitchell was 89. His family confirmed that he died early this morning.

"He has been in poor health for some time, but was cracking jokes to the last," a statement from his family said.

Mitchell appeared in numerous films during a lengthy career but will always be remembered as East End bigot Alf Garnett, the BBC sitcom character created by writer Johnny Speight. Garnett's ignorance, sexism and racism made him a laughing stock. It was always clear that he was the butt of the joke and that his attitudes were unenlightened. It was a difficult balance to pull off but a combination of sharp scripts and committed performances made Mitchell's Garnett a formidable comic icon.