Police were called to the Camden home of the star, who had struggled for some years with drink and drugs problems, shortly after 4pm on Saturday.

Her label Universal set the tone in a statement, confirming "the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer."

That sense of lost potential has underpinned the reaction to the tragedy. Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini said that the musical world had been robbed of "20 years of good records" by an artist of ...