Del Boy's winning formula

The BBC'S Only Fools And Horses consistently tops the polls as Britain's funniest sitcom.

Now scientists claim to have worked out exactly why the adventures of Del Boy, Rodney and pals are more side-splitting than the rest.

They have just spent two months devising a formula which can be used to create the perfect sitcom.

It claims to show why programmes such as The Office are so funny but others including Johnny Vaughan's 'Orrible and Babes In The Wood, starring Denise Van Outen, were short on laughs.

The formula, shown right, is based on factors such as the qualities of the main character, their delusions of grandeur and the wit of the script.

Under this formula Only Fools And Horses scores 696 points, followed by The Office, Father Ted, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder. In contrast, Babes In The Wood gets only eight points, while 'Orrible comes last with just 6.5 points.

Dr Helen Pilcher, who devised the equation for the Comedy Research Project, said: 'This formula shows why some sitcoms fail to make the grade whilst others make us laugh time and time again.'