Carla Lane funeral to take place in Liverpool

Updated

The funeral of acclaimed television comedy writer Carla Lane will take place today in her home city of Liverpool.

Her sitcoms, which included Butterflies, Bread and The Liver Birds, established Lane as one of the country's best-loved writers.

Much of her work focused on women's lives - with characters ranging from frustrated housewives to working class matriarchs.

Lane was also a keen animal rights activist and had an animal rescue centre in Melling, Merseyside, named after her three years ago.

She had transformed her home in West Sussex into a sanctuary for a variety of creatures - looking after rescued farm animals, homeless cats and dogs and injured wildlife.

Lane received an OBE for services to writing in 1989 but returned it to Tony Blair in 2002 in disgust at animal cruelty.

In 1995, Lane was given a Royal Television Society award for her Outstanding Contribution to British Television.

She was also a close friend of Sir Paul McCartney's late wife Linda.

Lane died aged 87 at a nursing home in Liverpool on May 31. She leaves two sons, Nigel and Colin.

Her funeral service will take place at 2pm at Liverpool Cathedral.

Advertisement