Comedy producer Gareth Gwenlan OBE, whose long list of credits include Only Fools And Horses, has died aged 79.

Born in Brecon in Wales, Gwenlan was the producer or executive behind a large number of British sitcom hits. He was awarded an OBE in 2013 for his work in television comedy, and has numerous other awards to his name, including a Royal Television Society Fellowship.

Having been the BBC's Head of Comedy from 1983 to 1990, he was responsible for commissioning hits including Blackadder, Yes Prime Minister, 'Allo 'Allo!, Birds Of A Feather, One Foot In The Grave, Bread and Keeping Up Appearances.

BBC comedy productions won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy during every year in which Gwenlan was in charge of commissioning, as well as three Emmys. Awarded an OBE in 2013, Gwenlan had also been personally nominated for 12 further BAFTA Awards, and won two Oscars.

Meanwhile, after joining the BBC Comedy department in 1967, as a producer he helped create some of Britain's most loved sitcoms, notably The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin, Butterflies, To The Manor Born and Only Fools And Horses.

His last production role was on the 2015 special of High Hopes, the long-running BBC Wales sitcom that he produced and directed. Robert Blyth, who plays Fagin in High Hopes has paid tribute, saying: "Gareth was hugely successful, and rightly so, in the field of situation comedy. He was the man who knew more about it than anyone else alive. He will be sadly missed."

Gwenlan had a close working relationship with the late John Sullivan, the writer of Only Fools And Horses and other shows he produced. Jim Sullivan says: "Gareth was a good friend of my Dad, an integral member of the Only Fools family and a lovely man. Our thoughts are with his family."

In the above photo, taken behind-the-scenes on the set of Only Fools And Horses spin-off Rock And Chips, Gwenlan can be seen on the left. Also featured in the photo are Only Fools And Horses stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, and - on the right - John Sullivan.