Peter Kay has been named the funniest man alive by comedy fans.

The Bolton comedian and star of Channel 4's award-winning Phoenix Nights has topped an online poll of the greatest living comics.

He beat Eddie Izzard into second place, Billy Connolly into third and The Office's Ricky Gervais into fourth -- despite Gervais triumphing at the British Comedy Awards.

Peter's success comes as little surprise.

The 29-year-old is currently nearing the end of his sell-out comedy tour, playing London's Hammersmith Apollo all this week. Video and DVD copies of Phoenix Nights, filmed at St Gregory's Labour Club in Farnworth, went straight to the top of the charts. And even a calendar featuring Peter in various comedy poses became a big seller.

Steve Bennett, editor of chortle.co.uk, which organised the poll, said: "Peter Kay has obviously found a winning formula for comedy -- a combination of old-fashioned gags and perceptive observations about northern family life that's proving a hit on stage and on TV."

Visitors to the comedy news website were also asked to name their favourite dead comics. Controversial American stand-up Bill Hicks, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 33, topped that poll.

Goon show genius Spike Milligan came second, just days before the first anniversary of his death on February 27, closely followed by Peter Cook.

However, not one of the 20 names in the two lists, compiled from almost 800 online votes, is female.

Mr Bennett said: "The poll does seem to suggest that women are finding it more difficult to unlock the secret of comedy than men. There are plenty of great female comics around, but they just don't seem to have captured the hearts of audiences in the same way that the best men have."

Peter is performing this week at the Hammersmith Apollo in London as part of his nationwide tour.

Do you agree with the results of the poll? Who would your Top 10 comics be? Send your list to letters@boltoneveningnews.co.uk