Dave Prowse, the former bodybuilder best known for playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died.

He was cast as Vader for his imposing physique, but, because of Bristolian accent, the role was voiced by Hollywood legend James Earl Jones.

But, despite his lofty accolades, the weightlifter-turned-actor was most proud of playing the Green Cross Code Man. The role, promoting road safety in the UK, earned him an MBE.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies, said he was "so sad" to hear the news.

He said on Twitter; "He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader.

"He loved his fans as much as they loved him."

Star Wars co-star - and fellow Briton - Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3PO in 11 of the 12 Star Wars instalments, paid tribute to Prowse's contribution to the epic series.

"Dave's iconic figure dominated the finished film in '77 and has done so ever since," he wrote on Twitter.

His agent Thomas Bowington said: "May the force be with him, always!

"Though famous for playing many monsters - for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives."

The Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees hailed Prowse's Bristol roots and his legacy: "A Bristol man and along with #WhyDon'tYou and #GrangeHill, part of our 70s and 80s childhoods," he wrote.

He reportedly became close friends with rival bodybuilding competitors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno (later better known as TV's Incredible Hulk) - long before their on-screen fame.

Even before he began acting, Prowse found success in Hollywood circles, preparing the late Christopher Reeve for the physical demands of his role as Superman, as the actor's personal trainer.

He made his film debut in 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale playing Frankenstein's Creature, a part he was asked to play again in two films from the iconic Hammer film series, 1970's Horror Of Frankenstein and 1974's Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell and also regularly featured on cult series such as The Saint, Space 1999 and Doctor Who, in which he was cast as a minotaur in the 1972 episode The Time Monster, opposite Jon Pertwee.

Spotted by director George Lucas in the 1971 film Clockwork Orange, in which he played a bodyguard, Prowse was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV.

Thanks to his hulking 6ft 6in (1.98 m) frame, honed by the weightlifting skills it saw him represent England at the Commonwealth Games in the early 1960s.

Despite the enduring clamour for Star Wars, the actor always maintained that playing the Green Cross Code Man, which he first portrayed in 1975, was the "best job I ever had".

Dressed in a distinctive green and white superhero suit, he became the face of British road safety for more than a decade, known for his catchphrase "Stop, look and listen".

Brought up in Bristol, he spent his later years living in Croydon "a loving husband, father and grandfather".

His autobiography Straight from the Force's Mouth was published in 2011.

He was 85.