A close showbusiness friend of June Whitfield has died of pneumonia in a care unit named after the comedy actress at St Helier Hospital.

George Evans, 84, from Sutton, met June while penning the popular Navy Lark radio series during his distinguished comedy writing career.

Mr Evans, who also devised the music for Worzel Gummidge and supplied sketches to Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson, recently had cancer diagnosed.

Last week about 100 mourners, including June and TV director Tony Parker, gathered for his funeral at North East Surrey Crematorium.

His wife Jo said: "George had only been in the June Whitfield palliative care unit for one day.

"We have been friends for 50 years and she was very fond of George.

"After the funeral, June, who is president of the League of Friends at St Helier, invited me to stay with her in Wimbledon and then we went to her cottage in West Sussex.

"She is just marvellous like that.

Mrs Evans added: "Unfortunately, Vince Powell, George's writing partner, couldn't attend the funeral.

"But Tony Parker, who directed some of the shows George worked on, such as Love Thy Neighbour and Bless This House, read out Vince's speech."

George was born in Cardiff but moved to Sutton in 1959 to work as a personal writer for the late Jon Pertwee, whom he impressed during a guest spot.

Over the next 30 years he created scripts for Crowther's Crowd, the Dick Emery Show, the Mike and Bernie Winters Show, Hudd, Up Pompeii and This is Your Life.

In January, the Dave Marion Big Band held a benefit concert to help pay for George's medical costs after he suffered a stroke and developed vascular dementia last year.

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