Tributes have been paid to veteran comedian Roy Hudd who died last month at the age of 83.

The former BBC Radio 2 host and stage actor became a patron of the Oasthouse Theatre in Rainham in the mid 1990s.

It followed a visit to the nearby Theatre Royal in Chatham which Roy had backed as part of an appeal to renovate the venue.

The actor and comic sadly passed away on Sunday March 15 after a short illness.

His funeral took place on Friday April 3 and was attended by just three people in line with strict social distancing guidelines.

Members of the Rainham Theatrical Society have paid tribute to one of the last "real stars" of the variety show to ensure he is remembered.

Dean Caston, press relations manager at the Oasthouse, first met Roy in his dressing room after a performance at The Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

After the meet Dean became a member of The British Music Hall Society of which Roy was president for 28 years.

The pair worked closely together for several years and Dean even had the pleasure of organising the comic's annual celebrity lunch.

He said: "Roy loved the annual lunch and they became a highlight on the BMHS calendar.

"I would exchange e-mails and phone calls with Roy in the lead up to the lunch and he would talk excitedly about the guests he had invited to speak at the lunch."

Dean added: "In fact just a couple of weeks before Roy passed away he phoned me to chat about the lunch and despite his failing health he spoke with his usual level of excitement and passion about the lunch.

Plans for this year's lunch are already underway and Dean says members will "certainly be raising a glass to Roy!".

"It was a fitting tribute to Roy that last year the lunch celebrated Roy’s 60 years in show business with tributes paid by show biz colleagues and friends including Chris Emmett, Julia Sutton and Barry Cryer," he said.

Roy Hudd was born in Croydon on May 16, 1936, and started out as a Redcoat at Butlins before becoming a star of radio, TV and variety shows.

He also enjoyed a stint in soap acting playing undertaker Archie Shuttleworth in the ITV show Coronation Street.

But his true love was always the theatre hall and the comic returned to the Oasthouse in 2013 with wife Debbie.

Together they hosted a chat show about his 60 years in the trade and dedicated the proceeds to the venue.

He also brought the production to Sheppey's Criterion Theatre at Bluetown in June 2018 and agreed to re-open the theatre after some renovation work.

Speaking last month, Criterion director Jenny Hurkett paid tribute to a "true gentleman".

"When he appeared here his show was sold out," she said. "People travelled from all over the country to meet him and share special stories with him. He stayed on and spoke to everyone.

"He was impressed with our music hall and even gave us a donation.

"We are very proud that he performed here. His knowledge and passion for music hall and variety will sadly never be seen again."

The Oasthouse remains closed during the Coronavirus virus and had to cancel a week of its March production ‘Entertaining Angels’ and postpone its May play ‘Flushed and Flushed Again’.

It is hoped the theatre will be able to re-open again in July when the run of ‘Entertaining Angels’ by Richard Everett will continue.

The latest information is available on the Theatre's website.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway