Wallace left speechless with grief

Both Wallace and his dog Gromit are without words this evening.

The death of Peter Sallis at 96 has left his most famous creation silent, possibly forever.

Sallis seemed to have been a cheerful old fellow with a voice like warm milk and honey full of humour for decades, ever the same age, ever getting into unfortunate scrapes on television, including pushing another old man down a hill in a wheeled bathtub – a gag later repeated ad infinitum on Top Gear.

Originally known for Last of the Summer Wine, his greatest role was to do battle with a villainous plasticine penguin and a robot dog.

Sallis’ creation became the only entirely plasticine creation to win an Oscar, until Leonardo DiCaprio.

Co-stars Gromit and Feathers McGraw declined to make a statement, but elected to maintain a dignified silence with only a sorrowful raised brow.

With a sad and worried, but toothy, smile, Wallace raised one hand and wiggled his fingers in a last good-bye.

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