Singer and actor Alvin Stardust died this morning aged 72 after a short illness, his manager said.

He had recently been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and died at home with his wife and family around him.

The singer - real name Bernard Jewry - started out in the music business in the 1960s but became a huge star on the back of the 1970s glam rock craze scoring hits with tracks including My Coo Ca Choo and Jealous Mind.

He appeared at the Child Catcher in Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang in 2007 at The Mayflower in Southampton.