Ivy Tilsley of 'Coronation Street' dies after a stroke

The actress Lynne Perrie, who played Coronation Street's Ivy Tilsley for 15 years, has died after a stroke, it was announced last night.

The 75-year-old star, who was given her acting break in the acclaimed Ken Loach film Kes, which also featured her brother Duggie Brown, had suffered a long period of ill health.

Brown said yesterday that his sister died on Friday night with her husband and son at her bedside.

Ms Perrie (pictured) had battled with alcohol and wrote a candid account of her life after she left the hit soap in 1994. Her most notorious public appearance following this was on the cult Channel 4 show The Word, in which she gave a bizarre performance of the song "I Will Survive".

Her former Street co-star Johnny Briggs, who plays Mike Baldwin, described her as "100 per cent professional. She was one of the most generous people I have ever met. She would give a tramp £10 rather than walk past them."

Ms Perrie's friend Liz Dawn, who plays Vera Duckworth, said she was saddened by the news: "She was always full of life and great fun to work with."