Actor Brian Wilde - star of Porridge and Last Of The Summer Wine - dies aged 86

in one of those eerie, if not spooky, set of circumstances, i was sat talking to Mum and Dad about him on the day that this news broke - we were unaware of the sad departure of him. what a shame, but thank you for the great comedy moments that will last forever!!!

Porridge actor Brian Wilde has died at the age of 86, it was confirmed today.

Wilde, who appeared in British comedy TV shows for more than 40 years, played prison warden Mr Barrowclough alongside Ronnie Barker in the BBC series.

He also played Foggy in the long-running series Last Of The Summer Wine.
The actor's son, Andrew Wilde, said his father died in his sleep of natural causes last night.

He said Wilde suffered a fall around seven weeks ago and had not recovered.
Wilde's agent Nick Young said: "He will be sadly missed by colleagues and family alike. He brought a great deal of laughter into many people's lives."
Wilde had minor roles in films such as Carry On Doctor in 1968 and The Jokers in 1967. He also appeared in the 1980s TV comedy Kit Curran.

Last Of The Summer Wine producer Alan JW Bell told the BBC: "He was perhaps the best of the Summer Wine 'third men' – he was the most loved of all the characters.

"He was a fine actor to work with, very professional. He was an old-school actor – you turned up, knew your lines and played them the very best you could.
"He had an enormous warmth to the public when he was off the set.

"He didn't like to hob-nob with the actors – when there was a break, he preferred to go to a pub around the corner to meet the 'real' people."