The 92-year-old had been ill for a short time and was in a nursing home in Budleigh Salterton, Devon.

His daughter, Jeanne Marley, 59, said he died "peacefully" just before 2pm yesterday.

Varney, who played main character Stan Butler in the 1970s sitcom, was born in London's East End but had lived in Devon for the past 20 years.

After leaving school he took various menial jobs before becoming an actor after showing a flair for performance in working men's clubs.

During the Second World War he joined the Royal Electrical Engineers but carried on being an entertainer in various music halls.

He had a number of roles in different TV shows before achieving fame in his role in On The Buses, which began in 1969 and ran for seven series.
Afterwards Varney took on a number of film roles although it was On The Buses that he continued to be most recognised for.

In later years he went abroad on tour with a cabaret show.
Mrs Marley said he had only recently been admitted to the nursing home after he had begun suffering from a chest infection.

She said: "He's always been very young for his age, when he was in On The Buses he was playing a 35-year-old, but he was actually 50."

Varney, who had lived alone since his wife Lilian died in 2002, is survived by his daughter, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
His funeral has yet to be arranged.