An actor who appeared alongside screen legends including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton has died aged 72.

The funeral of Alfred Lynch, who played the role of the Kray twins' father Charlie in the 1990 film The Krays, was taking place at the Woodvale Crematorium, Brighton, today.

Mr Lynch, who died after a fight against cancer, spent the last years of his life in Saltdean, where he lived in a large house in Bannings Vale, just off the main South Coast Road, overlooking the sea.

Born in 1931 in London's East End, Mr Lynch left school in his teens and worked in a drawing office. He did National Service in the Army before training as an actor.

In the late Fifties he emerged as a promising talent and was soon in demand for theatrical roles as a cheeky working class lad.

He starred in the Brendan Behan play The Hostage in London and New York, playing the role of a soldier held hostage by the IRA.

His film career took off in the Sixties, with a small role in the film Look Back In Anger, which starred Burton, and an appearance alongside Dirk Bogarde in the 1963 film The Password Is Courage.

Also among his credits was West 11 with Eric Portman and Diana Dors, and the 1961 film On The Fiddle in which he and a young Sean Connery shared star billing playing a couple of RAF servicemen.

Mr Lynch appeared regularly in Shakespeare productions, including a A Midsummer Night's Dream with Rita Tushingham at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre in 1962.

He also took the role of Tranio in Franco Zefferilli's 1967 film The Taming Of The Shrew with Taylor and Burton.

He was also passionate about Chekhov and appeared in The Seagull on stage and in film, playing the part of Medvedenko in the screen version in 1968 alongside Vanessa Redgrave and James Mason.

Mr Lynch went on to play a variety of TV roles, including Commander Millington in one of the last Dr Who stories and an RAF pilot in Manhunt.

Other TV appearances included roles in Bewitched and Bergerac.

Mr Lynch loved to talk about theatre and films, and would often be seen in Saltdean walking his dog. He had recently overcome throat cancer.

Lecturer and neighbour Dr Hugh Drake said: "He was one of the finest actors of his generation.

"He had an intellectual grasp of the theatre and could have lectured on theatrical studies at any university. He had regained his health in recent months and was looking forward to resuming his career."