Legendary showbiz agent Norma Farnes has died.

Farnes was one of the last surviving links to the first golden age of broadcasting comedy in the UK. She worked for many years with Eric Sykes and most famously Spike Milligan.

It was Farnes who seemed most able to handle the unpredictable, depressive Milligan, whose behaviour included throwing a heavy paperweight at Sykes which missed him and flew out of the office window at Orme Court in West London.

In later years she wrote a number of books about her lengthy career and the people she encountered. One of the most successful books was Spike: An Intimate Memoir. Buy it here.