Actress Shirley Stelfox, who played Edna Birch for 15 years on rural soap Emmerdale, has died aged 74 after a short battle with cancer.
The RADA trained actress, who was born in Cheshire, had a varied career on stage and screen, appearing in many West End and TV productions.
On television she played leading roles in Common as Muck, Keeping Up Appearances and Hope & Glory. She also starred opposite John Hurt and Julie Walters in the 1984 film Personal Services.
Stelfox also worked extensively on stage. According to a statement on the official Emmerdale site, "Shirley passed away peacefully yesterday morning at home with her daughter Helena by her side after a short battle with cancer. She will be missed by us all."
CONFIRMED: Actress Shirley Stelfox has passed - read more now #Emmerdale https://t.co/rI6h9daA5d pic.twitter.com/Uid9qGIvUt
— Emmerdale (@emmerdale) December 8, 2015
