Sitcom actor Ken Jones dies aged 83
Sitcom star Ken Jones has died aged 83.
The Liverpool-born comic actor is perhaps best known for playing the role of Bernard Ives in the prison-based sitcom Porridge.
'Orrible' Ives, as the character was called by both prisoners and wardens alike, was serving time for committing fraud. Notably starting most of his conversations with "'ere listen", the character was portrayed by Jones as a slimy cheat and snitch.
Jones was also regularly recognised by comedy fans as Uncle Dermot from The Liver Birds.
Across his career, he played many varied characters, including starring roles in series such as Watching, Dead Ernest, Seconds Out and The Last Of The Baskets.
Jones also enjoyed lead roles in provocative Liverpudlian sitcom The Wackers, which was recently released on DVD and widely seen as a forerunner to Bread, and Eric Chappell's The Squirrels, as incapable accountant Rex. The series was also released on DVD recently.
In the 1960s sitcom Her Majesty's Pleasure, he was seen on the other side of the bars from his role in Porridge, playing Prison Officer Mills.
Born in 1930, Jones first got into acting via local theatre companies based in Merseyside. He went on to live in London and Wales, before in his later years moving back to Merseyside to be near his sister.
He died at a nursing home in Prescot yesterday, having been suffering from bowel cancer.
Lifelong friend Malcolm Frood said today: "I have known Ken as a person since I was 10 years old. He was a terrific actor and was in a lot of TV shows. He was one of the great friends of the family that we have ever known." Mr Frood added that Jones was a credit to Merseyside.
In the below clip from Porridge Fletcher and Ives bet over some potatoes: