It’s never the kind of news anybody wants to pass on, and we do so with regret: Mary Tamm, best known to Doctor Who fans as the first incarnation of companion Romana, passed away in hospital this morning following a long battle with cancer.

Yorkshire-born Tamm played the Gallifreyan companion to the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, between 1978 and 1979 in The Key to Time season arc. Before appearing on Doctor Who, Tamm had featured in a number of films including The Odessa File and The Likely Lads, and appeared on a number of television dramas and soaps since her departure from the sci-fi series.