Cilla Black: Britain Mourns A Showbiz Icon

Spanish police are reportedly investigating whether Cilla Black died after a fall at her Costa del Sol villa, as tributes to the late singer and TV presenter continue to pour in.

Sky's Enda Brady, who is outside the 72-year-old star's home in Estepona, said: "What a lot of people in the area are saying is that Cilla arrived here on Friday with her son Robert for a brief holiday.

"She had only been here one day, she went for a siesta Saturday afternoon and when she didn't come down from her bedroom her son went looking for her and he basically broke the door down and found his mother dead.

"That's what all the local reports are saying."

Some reports have claimed that the star may have died after a fall from a dizzy spell, caused by a sudden temperature change in a room at her villa but this has not been confirmed.

The death of the former pop star and TV presenter was announced on Sunday .

A post-mortem examination will be carried out, although early indications suggest Black - who suffered from hearing problems and arthritis - died of natural causes.

Brady said there would be no results on Monday.

In a statement, Black's publicist Nick Fiveash said: "It is with deep sorrow that I confirm today the passing of singer and TV personality Cilla Black.

"Details of her death will be announced following the coroner's report. Her family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time."

Friends of the star have spoken about how she knew her health was deteriorating and had spoken about missing her late husband and manager Bobby Willis, who died in 1999.

The former Beatle Paul McCartney , who wrote Black's debut single, Love of the Loved, along with John Lennon, said: "Such a shock to hear about Cilla's passing.

"She was a lovely girl who infected everyone with her great spirit.

"From first meeting her as a cloakroom girl at the Cavern in Liverpool, to seeing her many times since, she always had a fun loving dignity that made her a great pleasure to be around.

"She had a fine distinctive voice and was always a bit of a laugh. It was a privilege to know and love her."

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Cilla Black was a huge talent who made a significant contribution to public life in Britain. My thoughts are with her family."

The Liverpool-born star shot to fame in the 1960s with the Number One singles Anyone Who Had A Heart and You're My World.

She went on to present the hit television programmes Surprise Surprise and Blind Date, which ran for 18 years.

Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White, Black began her career as a part-time cloakroom attendant at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles regularly played.

She is said to have impressed the band with her impromptu performances and was introduced to the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein by John Lennon. Epstein went on to sign her as his only female client.

Black's debut single, Love of the Loved, was a modest success.

However, it was her second single, the Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition Anyone Who Had A Heart, which turned her into a household name.

It shot to Number One, becoming the biggest-selling single by a female artist in the history of British pop music.

In total she released 20 consecutive Top 40 singles, including 11 British Top Ten hits and two consecutive Number One singles, before transforming herself into one of Britain's most iconic TV stars.

Black was awarded an OBE in 1997.

She is survived by three sons.