Film director Michael Winner dies aged 77

Film director and national treasure Michael Winner has died aged 77, it was revealed yesterday. His wife Geraldine confirmed that he had passed away at his home in Kensington, west London, after a long battle with liver disease.

He made more than 30 films over a career which spanned seven decades, including the blockbuster Death Wish series. As well as his films, he was known for his witty restaurant reviews and larger-than-life personality.

Paying tribute to her husband Mrs Winner, a former dancer, said in a statement: 'Michael was a wonderful man, brilliant, funny and generous. A light has gone out in my life.'

The couple first met in 1957, when he was 21 and she was 16, but married only in 2011 after a decades-long relationship. May his soul rest in peace.