SIR Edward Heath, the Prime Minister who took Britain into Europe, has died, aged 89.

Baroness Thatcher, the long-term adversary who ousted him as Tory leader, hailed him as a "political giant" and "the first modern Conservative leader" last night.

The Queen, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Tory leader Michael Howard also paid tribute to Sir Edward, who occupied 10 Downing Street from 1970 to 1974.

The veteran politician suffered a pulmonary embolism while holidaying in Australia two years ago and never seemed to recover fully. He is understood to have died of old age.

He was well enough to celebrate his birthday with a party only last week but had "recently become considerably weaker", a spokesman said.

Resting

Sir Edward, who spent more than half a century in the Commons, had been "resting quietly" at the home which he loved in Salisbury, Wiltshire, when he passed away at 7.30pm yesterday.

Although in Downing Street for less than four years, his legacy is assured as the prime minister who persuaded Britain to join the European Economic Community.

He will be equally remembered for his long feud with Baroness Thatcher, who defeated him in a Tory leadership contest.

His reaction was memorably described as the "longest sulk in history".

Friends say his feelings towards her mellowed after she, too, left Downing Street and she offered warm words of tribute.

"Ted Heath was a political giant," the Baroness said.

"He was also, in every sense, the first modern Conservative leader - by his humble background, his grammar school education and by the fact of his democratic election.

"As Prime Minister, he was confronted by the enormous problems of post-war Britain.

"If those problems eventually defeated him, he had shown in the 1970 manifesto how they, in turn, would eventually be defeated.

"For that, and much else besides, we are all in his debt," Lady Thatcher said.

The son of a housemaid and a carpenter, Sir Edward became the Tories' first working-class prime minister in 1970.

His time in No 10 was also marked by a confrontational approach to pay and the unions which resulted in numerous strikes.

With the country on a three-day week and rubbish piling up in the streets the miners threatened to bring his government down.

In 1974 Sir Edward called an election asking "who governs Britain?" and did not get the answer he had hoped for.

Knives

The knives were out and junior colleague Margaret Thatcher surprised everyone defeating him in a leadership contest the following year, ending his 11 years at the top of the party.

Edward Heath entered Parliament as an MP in February 1950 and only stood down at the 2001 election, 11 years after becoming Father of the House, the longest continually serving MP.

He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, the most senior order of chivalry, in 1992 but refused a move to the Lords.

A bachelor, Sir Edward's chief loves were music and sailing, in which he competed at international level, captaining Britain's winning Admiral Cup team as PM in 1971.

Sir Edward's funeral will be held at Salisbury Cathedral, which he could see from his living room, at 2.30pm on Monday July 28, "no ticket required", his spokesman said.

A service of thanks giving will be held in London later in the year.

Lord Heseltine, speaking on ITN News, said: "He did not suffer fools gladly. But if you were entertained by him at his home in Salisbury, he was a very different man."

Former Labour MP Tony Benn, also speaking on ITN, commented: "He was a reminder of the tradition of one-nation Conservatism which had served the party well in the past.

"He did not speak very often in the Commons, but when he did it was a serious contribution."

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