Jean Marsh has died

Jean's friend, director Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, said in a statement issued through her agent: "Jean died peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers.

"You could say we were very close for 60 years. She was as wise and funny as anyone I ever met, as well as being very pretty and kind, and talented as both an actress and writer.

"An instinctively empathetic person who was loved by everyone who met her. We spoke on the phone almost every day for the past 40 years."

Jean began her career on stage, making her debut in London's West End when she was just 12 years old in 'The Land Of The Christmas Stocking'.

Her earliest TV appearances came in 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Danger Man' and she also starred in episodes of 'Doctor Who', most notably as William Hartnell's brief companion Sara Kingdom.

On the big screen, Jean - who was married to Jon Pertwee, who was 15 years her senior, for five years from the age of 19 - appeared in fantasy adventure 'Willow', thriller 'Frenzy', and the dark sequel 'Return To Oz'.

In 2007, Jean and the cast of 'Upstairs, Downstairs' reunited for the first time in over 30 years for a TV special in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Bafta awards.

She said at the time: "I clearly remember sitting in my friend Eileen Atkins' kitchen, nearly 40 years ago, discussing an idea for a series showing the contrast between upstairs and downstairs, and we were sharing stories about her father and my mother, both of whom had been in service."

The period drama was revived by the BBC in 2010 and Jean was the only original cast member to return, playing Rose in five episodes and earning another Emmy nomination.

A minor stroke forced the actress - who also created fashion period drama 'The House of Elliott' in 1991 - to take a break in 2011 but she eventually returned to work.

In 2012, she was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.