English actress Jackie Lane has died aged 79.

Lane was best known for her role as Dodo Chaplet, a companion of the Doctor, in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.

She played the part from February to July 1966 alongside William Hartnell as the Doctor. She appeared from the conclusion of The Massacre to the second episode of The War Machines.

Prior to joining Doctor Who, Lane had made occasional appearances in BBC television and radio productions, including Anna Neagle’s radio production of Wonderful Things in 1958, with Charlie Drake in the TV production Grandad was a Wrestler in 1959, and as a panelist on Juke Box Jury in 1961.

After leaving Doctor Who, Lane became a theatrical agent, representing Tom Baker, who would play the Fourth Doctor, and Janet Fielding, who would play companion Tegan Jovanka and managed Nicholas Courtney.

In 2013, the BBC made a ‘docudrama’ called An Adventure in Space and Time, telling the story of the creation and early days of Doctor Who, as part of the programme’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations. Lane appears as a character in the drama, played by actress Sophie Holt.

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