He kept the crowds waiting for nearly an hour but when veteran comedian Ken Dodd arrived he soon got them laughing.

The king of the Diddymen, complete with two tickling sticks, was in Shoreham yesterday to unveil a plaque dedicated to music hall comic Max Miller.

But when he and Bill Pertwee, of Dad's Army fame, pulled back the curtain, a miniature pair of bloomers appeared in true "cheeky chappie" Miller style.

Ken, who had performed on stage in Worthing until after midnight the evening before, said: "Max Miller was the pure gold of the music hall.

"He was the ancestor of all comedians today and a wonderful inspiration to us all."

The plaque, paid for by the Max Miller Appreciation Society, to which Ken and Bill both belong, was unveiled at Ashcroft, in Kingston Lane, where the comic lived for five years until 1950.

Outside the building, now sheltered housing owned by the council, crowds of Miller fans listened to anecdotes about the comedian who never told a dirty joke.

Among them was Miller's nephew, Harry Sargent, and 45-year-old Cliff Lawrey, who had travelled more than 250 miles from Liverpool to attend.

Ken, who was due to take the stage in Eastbourne within hours, said: "Max had the most marvellous magic but he was not blue.

"Instead, he was like any good dish - a little spicy and saucy."