Rik Mayall, the British actor and comedian who was star of television shows such as Bottom and The Young Ones, has died aged 56.

The comedian was known for his energetic, over-the-top characters and also appeared in programmes such as Blackadder and The New Statesman and in feature films including Guest House Paradiso and Drop Dead Fred.

The was left with a fractured skull and in a coma for a number of days after a quad bike accident in 1998

He was left seriously ill after a quad bike accident in 1998 which left him in a coma for several days.