Theatrical figures turned out to honour actress Sheila Mathews as she celebrated 70 years in showbusiness.

Actress Dora Bryan and singer Joe Brown were among guests at a lunch held in the Green Room Club in London.

Sheila, 73, from Southwick took to the stage as a child and went on to work as a singer and actress.

She appeared in stage and television productions, including the long-running soap Crossroads.

Her most recent role was as the Duchess in Me And My Girl at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne this summer.

Sheila and her late husband, London Palladium producer Charles Reading, were friends with the Duke of Edinburgh.

At the lunch she spoke out in support of the duke, whom she believes comes in for unfair criticism.

Sheila said: "Next month he will be 80 years old and I think it is time to start giving credit where it is long overdue."

She also told how she went to a party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen and Prince Philip's golden wedding - wearing hair rollers.

She said: "It was the only way I could stop my large straw hat from falling down over my eyes."