The man who famously duelled with Sir Alec Guinness in the Elstree-made film Star Wars this week paid tribute to the veteran actor, who died on Saturday.

Dave Prowse took the role of evil Darth Vader in the original Star Wars movie and slayed Obi-Wan Kenobi, the wise Jedi knight played by Sir Alec.

The 86-year-old actor, who won a Best Actor Oscar for his part in the war film The Bridge on the River Kwai, died after a long illness at a Sussex Hospital.

Mr Prowse fondly recalled being invited to meet Sir Alec before shooting for Star Wars began at Elstree Film Studios, in Elstree Way, in 1976.

'Because we were going to be acting together I went out to lunch with Sir Alec, George Lucas and the producer Gary Kurtz.'

Mr Prowse, who last saw Sir Alec at a book launch two years ago, added: 'I thought he was very pleasant and it was very interesting for me to work with one of the greats of the film industry.'

The light sabre fight in which Darth Vader kills Obi-Wan was filmed at Elstree Studios before the cast and crew moved to Tunisia to shoot on location.

Although Sir Alec did not feel proud of his involvement with Star Wars, he earned a fortune by receiving a two per cent cut of the director's royalties.

Born in London in 1914, he served in the Royal Navy during the war and returned to make his film debut in Great Expectations in 1946.

The actor, who was married with one son, was knighted in 1959 and received his second Oscar, a special award for his contribution to film, in 1979.