'Adrian Mole' author Sue Townsend dies

Novelist Sue Townsend, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole books, has died, according to reports.

The 68-year-old died at home yesterday after a short illness, the BBC reported.

Townsend, who was left blind after suffering from diabetes for many years, achieved worldwide success after the publication of her best-known work, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4, in 1982.