Thaw's Inspector Morse: Just one of his popular roles

"I was asked to accept this on behalf of John - I'm happy - no, not happy - proud to do it," she said.

"John always said the most important thing was the audience.

"Getting the Bafta Fellowship last year was the greatest award of his life."

Hancock also thanked viewers for the "great wave of love" she and her daughters had felt since Thaw's death.

The actor, who was best known in recent years for playing the dour detective Inspector Morse, died of cancer of the oesophagus in February.

Hancock was herself up for the best actress Bafta, but lost out to Julie Walters for ITV1's My Beautiful Son.

Hundreds of stars attended Sunday night's gala at the Theatre Royal in London, the biggest night in the British TV calendar.

Other winners included The Office, EastEnders and Graham Norton.

Pop Idol, one of ITV1's biggest hits in recent years, was named best entertainment programme - one of ITV1's six awards.

BBC Two picked up eight awards, inculding two for The Office - best situation comedy and best performance, for actor and series creator Ricky Gervais.

BBC Two sitcom The Office scooped two awards

But Channel 4's satirical comedy Brass Eye, which attracted a storm of criticism for its spoof of media attitudes towards paedophilia, failed to win a prize despite two nominations.

The nomination of Brass Eye for two Baftas also attracted criticism before the ceremony from host and TV presenter Chris Tarrant, who said there was nothing comic about its subject matter.

Channel 4's Graham Norton won the prize for best entertainment performance for the third year running, beating Pop Idol hosts Ant and Dec.

Police

EastEnders, which has just shown the gripping trial of Little Mo took the best soap prize for the third time in four years.

BBC Two's haul of awards included best factual series (Horizon), innovation (Double Take) and single drama (When I Was 12).

And Sir Michael Gambon won his third successive best actor award for BBC Two's Perfect Strangers.

Gambon's Bafta was his third in successive years

Accepting the award, he said: "This is the most important and prestigious award for me.

"It's the only television award. I'm absolutely delighted."

Sir Michael also thanked director Stephen Poliakoff - who won his own award - for "stopping me over-acting".

Louis Theroux beat Jeremy Paxman, Michael Parkinson and Simon Schama to the best presenter award.

Referring to one of the best-liked of his recent programmes, Theroux thanked the Metropolitan Police "for arresting the Hamiltons while I was making the documentary".

Sky News landed its first ever Bafta for its reporting of the events of 11 September, as the world watched the attacks in New York and Washington.

Other awards went to Formula One commentary legend Murray Walker, and screenwriter Andrew Davies, who was given an Academy Fellowship.

The Bafta Television Awards will be screened on ITV1 on Monday 22 April at 2030 BST.