Eric and Ernie were given OBE's in 1976

England have

One of Britain's most loved and most successful comedians, Ernie Wise, has died aged 73.

The news of his death at about 0700 GMT in the Nuffield Hospital, in Wexham Park, near Slough, has plunged the world of show business into mourning.

He was being cared for at the hospital after returning to the UK this month following a triple bypass operation in Florida in January.

It is understood the hospital reported he was well at 0615 but Mrs Wise was called 15 minutes later because his condition haddeteriorated.

By the time she arrived at his bedside, her husband of 46 years, had died.

His illness began when he fell ill at his holiday home in Boca Raton, on Florida's east coast, days after celebrating his birthday in November last year.

He suffered two heart attacks within a week and spent almost three weeks in intensive care, before undergoing the six-and-a-half hour triple heart bypass operation.

Two weeks ago the star, who shared a mansion on the River Thames with his wife at Maidenhead, Berkshire, was flown back from the US by air ambulance.

Born Ernie Wiseman, he forged his comedy partnership with Eric Bartholomew when he was 16, in the 1940s.

But Wiseman and Bartholomew was too long for bright-lights and billboards and they renamed as Morecambe and Wise.

For four decades, the duo whose Christmas specials became a national institution, captured the public's affection with a mix of self-deprecating charm and schoolboy humour.

They were both awarded OBEs in 1976.

Their theme tune was Bring Me Sunshine but the final curtain came with Morecambe's death in Gloucestershire from heart failure in May 1984, aged 57.

Ernie described it as the saddest day of his life.

Wise's death comes just days after that of 71-year-old Sid Green, co-writer of classic sketches for Morecambe and Wise.

Men, women and children fled 'like rabbits' as police opened fire

Eye-witnesses said men, women and children fled 'like rabbits' as up to 300 officers began randomly shooting into a 5,000-strong crowd outside the municipal offices in Sharpeville.

Scores of injured have been taken to Baragwanath hospital near Johannesburg suffering gun-shot wounds.

It is not yet clear why the police, in armoured vehicles, opened fire at approximately 1315 local time today, although it is understood some protesters had been stone-throwing.

Non-violent campaign

Between 5,000 and 7,000 people had gathered at Sharpeville police station to protest against the pass laws, which they claim are designed by an apartheid government to seriously restrict their movement in white areas.

The laws, which require all black men and women to carry reference books containing their personal details including name, tax code and employer details, have this year been extended to all black women as well as men.

The law states that anyone found in a public place without their book will be arrested and detained for up to 30 days.

PAC leader, Robert Subukwe, said today's march was intended to be the first of a five-day, non-violent campaign by black Africans to persuade the government to abolish the laws.

The aim was for all black Africans to leave their pass books at home and present themselves at police stations for arrest.

This, said Mr Subukwe, would cause prisons to become overcrowded, labour to dry up and the economy to grind to a halt.

But three hours after it began, the 'peaceful' gathering had turned into a blood-bath.

It is understood police attempted todispersethe crowd with a squadron of low-flying aircraft before drafting in extra reinforcements.

Police Commander D H Pienaar said: "It started when hordes of natives surrounding the police station.

"If they do these things, they must learn their lessons the hard way."

deteriorate: To grow worse; degenerate（使惡化）

disperse: To drive off or scatter in different directions（分散；疏散）