Take a look inside this £6.5m mansion owned by Sussex comedian Spike Milligan set to become Kosovo's embassy

The building in Hyde Park was bought for £6.5 million following a deal agreed by the country's ambassador Ilir Kapiti and Beauchamp Estates.

The 5,697 sq ft Victorian townhouse was formerly the home of Spike Milligan and office of Eric Sykes where the pair lived and worked, and where the comedian, Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers, Terry Nation, Dennis Spooner and other scriptwriters ran Associated London Scripts (ALS).

Between 1962-1979 they worked on famous TV, radio and theatre scripts, including The Goon Show, Hancock’s Half Hour, Dr Who and the Daleks, Genesis of the Daleks, Steptoe and Son, Thunderbirds and Stingray.

Spike, who was stationed in Bexhill during the Second World War, is still considered the godfather of British comedy and was best known for his work on the radio show The Goon Show in the 1950s. He died aged 83 at his home near Rye on February 27, 2002.

He lived in Udimore, in a house called Carpenters Meadow which was designed by an architect in the 1960s. He described his home as ‘the ugliest house in the world’ and put up an alternative house name - The Blind Architect.

His funeral service took place at St Anthony’s Catholic Church in Rye, and he was buried at St Thomas’ Church cemetery in Winchelsea. His gravestone bears what was voted as the UK’s favourite epitaph - the stone reads "See I told you I was ill!" but had to be written in Gaelic to be approved by the Chichester Diocese.

He was a popular figure in Rye and often opened charity events in the area. The comedian once joined East Sussex resident Sir Paul McCartney in a public march through the streets of Rye to protest against plans to close Rye Hospital.

Beauchamp Estates said the Bayswater townhouse, which is just 100 yards away from Hyde Park, will have a new future as a diplomatic mission for the Government of Kosovo. The ground and first floors have a series of large rooms, with high ceilings and tall windows, providing the ideal venue for diplomatic meetings and receptions, the firm said.

The upper floors, where Spike Milligan had his bedroom and where Terry Nation wrote the 1963 BBC script for Dr Who and The Daleks and Dennis Spooner wrote scripts for Thunderbirds and Stingray will provide more private accommodation and offices for embassy staff.

During the early 1970s Spike sold his interest in 9 Orme Court to Eric who continued to work in his first floor office up until 2011 before his death in 2012. 9 Orme Court has twin Heritage Foundation Blue Plaques celebrating Spike and Eric’s lives at the property, installed in 2003 and 2013 respectively.

Gary Hersham, founding director of Beauchamp Estates, said: “This grand townhouse has the benefit of a long history of being used as both offices and living accommodation making a transformation into an Embassy a logical step. The spacious interiors and prime location, on the doorstep of Hyde Park and just a short drive to Buckingham Place, makes it a perfect venue for a diplomatic mission.”