Friends and co-stars are mourning the death of Kathy Staff, the actress who played Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine.

The 80-year-old died after an illness, the BBC said.

Peter Sallis, who played Norman Clegg in the long-running sitcom, said he was "terribly upset" at the loss and the vicar at Staff's church paid tribute to her warmth and generosity.

With her curlers, saggy stockings and razor-sharp tongue, Nora Batty became the nation's favourite battle-axe and Staff's most famous role.

Staff played the character from the first episode of the show in 1973 and made her last appearance in August.

Aside from Last of the Summer Wine, Staff also appeared in Coronation Street, Crossroads and the sitcom Open All Hours.

Sallis said his co-star was irreplaceable.

He told the BBC: "I'm terribly upset that she's not with us, and I don't know quite for sure whether we are going to do any more episodes but if we do, she is going to be terribly missed."

The vicar of Staff's church said that in real life, the actress was completely different from her formidable screen character.

Reverend Alison Cox, priest-in-charge at St Mark's, Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, said: "We will miss her terribly. She was a very friendly and warm woman; faithful and generous.

"Kathy and her surviving family are in our prayers at this sad time."

Staff was baptised and married in the church and remained a committed Christian throughout her life.

Alan Bell, the producer of Last of the Summer Wine, said that Staff's gentle nature meant she often needed prompting to bring out Nora Batty's flinty character.

"She would play a scene quite gently and I'd say: But Kathy, you've got to harden up, because that's who we all love, the hard, tough Nora Batty'," he said.

"And she said: Why can't I be just soft and gentle at times?' And I said: Maybe some time we will'."

Nora's attempts to fend off amorous advances from scruffy Compo - often with a broom - were a Last of the Summer Wine staple.