Tom Owen, who starred in over 90 episodes of Last Of The Summer Wine, has died aged 73.

The actor played Tom Simmonite in the sitcom for over a decade, from 2000 up until the show's cancellation in 2010. Tom was portrayed as the long lost son of Compo - the character who was played by his real-life father, Bill Owen.

He was chosen to play Compo's son just days after the death of his father in 1999. In an interview in 2000 he recalled: "It was two or three days after dad had died. Obviously my mind was on other things, like organising the funeral, and it hadn't occurred to me at all that I would be approached to play Compo's long-lost son. Alan [producer/director Alan J. W. Bell] suggested the idea to me and I thought about it for two seconds before saying yes."

He added: "At first when I arrived on set it was very odd. It was emotional, but very early on I decided the only way I could tackle it was by being a professional."

His family confirmed in a statement today: "He passed away peacefully and is survived by his two children, James and William, and ex-wife, Mary."

Owen's other credits include playing Mr Bromley in 2018 film The Bromley Boys and roles in TV shows such as Hawkmoor, Tottering Towers and Freewheelers.