Carol Lee Scott

Carol Lee Scott, the actress best-known for entertaining British children on television as the colourful TV witch Grotbags, has died. She was 74.

No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only Mandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock (513879lv) CAROL LEE SCOTT AS 'GROTBAGS' - 1991 VARIOUS

The entertainer’s death was confirmed on Twitter by her niece Gina Mear on Wednesday: “My dear aunty Carol lost her brave fight against cancer yesterday.”

Scott appeared on several children’s television shows in the 1980s and 1990s.

Her Grotbags character first appeared on Emu’s World before Scott went on to star as the character for three series on ITV’s Grotbags.

Scott was born in Somerset and began her career as a cabaret performer and a pub singer in London. She spent nearly two decades working for holiday park company Pontins before moving on to television.

She spent 19 years working for the holiday park company before collaborating with Rod Hull on a series of programmes in the 1980s.

The pair created Grotbags while performing a summer season in Cleethorpes, with the character first appearing in Emu’s World in the 1980s before going it alone.

Also starring puppeteer Richard Coombs, Grotbags ran on ITV for three series between 1991 and 1993, with each episode following the antics of the green witch and her minions at her Gloomy Fortress.

Scott and Hull remained friends until his death in 1999.

Comedian Rufus Hound called Scott “an icon for folk of my generation”.