Sitcom legend Mollie Sugden passed away yesterday, following a long battle with illness. The Yorkshire-born star first found fame in Liverpool-based comedy The Liver Birds as Mrs Hutchinson, but it wasn't until she took the role of snooty purple-rinsed Mrs Slocombe in 1972 that she really captured the public's imagination. Thanks to a seemingly never-ending list of double entendre gags about her "pussy" Tiddles, she provided comedy gold for millions of viewers of Are You Being Served? for 13 years. Double-teaming with camp co-star John Inman, she turned a dreary '70s British sitcom into a saucy delight.

During her pomp, Sugden starred in pretty much every massive TV show worth watching. She worked on Benny Hill, Z-Cars, Up Pompei!, That's Life!, Steptoe And Son and featured as landlady Nellie Harvey in Corrie for eleven years. She made some occasional stinkers, such as the sci-fi comedy Come Back Mrs. Noah, but more often than not you were guaranteed a hit with Sugden. She now joins her co-stars Wendy Richard, Arthur Brough and Inman in comedy heaven, where they are no doubt already giggling about her pussy and the difference between "orgasms and organisms".

Click along our tribute picture gallery to see pictures of the late great Mollie Sugden.