Acting legend Sir John Hurt, a former Kent schoolboy, has died at the age of 77.

Tributes have been paid to the Bafta-winning icon and Otford pupil, whose career spanning more than six decades included roles in films such as Nineteen Eighty-Four, and The Elephant Man, as well as the Harry Potter series and Doctor Who.

Mr Hurt died at his home in Norfolk following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

While enjoying international acclaim it was at St Michael's Preparatory School in Otford, near Sevenoaks that the Derbyshire-born 77-year-old discovered his passion for the stage.

His first role was in a school production of The Bluebird (L'Oiseau Bleu) by Maurice Maeterlinck.

In 2005, actor Hurt said in an interview with the Independent on Sunday that when he was a pupil at the school he was abused by a senior school master.

He later attended Lincoln School in Lincoln and at the age of 17 enrolled in Grimsby Arts School.

Finally, in 1960 he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he trained for two years.

As well as a star-studded career on both the stage and in film, Mr Hurt also made a name for himself in voice acting- starring in Watership Down and The Black Cauldron

Most recently he has roles in four films due to be released this year, including Darkest Hour where he plays Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain at the onset of the Second World War.