David Croft, OBE

Comedy writer David Croft has died at his home in Portugal, he was 89.

Working with co-writer Jimmy Perry, the pair had a string of successes that began with Dad’s Army and continued through to It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Hi-De-Hi and You Rang, M’Lord?

Another creative partnership with Jeremy Lloyd delivered the hit comedies Are you being served? and ‘Allo, ‘Allo, while Oh, Doctor Beeching – a collaboration with Richard Spendlove, MBE – was his final series before retiring in 1997.

Croft and Perry were awarded OBEs in 1978 for services to television and were jointly honoured with a lifetime achievement award at 2003’s British Comedy Awards.