CHARLES Simon, the actor who founded the Darlington Repertory Theatre, has died aged 93.

Mr Simon set up the company in 1936 before going on to make his name as Dr Dale in the Radio Four show The Dales - formerly called Mrs Dale's Diary.

In later years he appeared in blockbuster films, including Shadowlands with Anthony Hopkins, and 102 Dalmatians.

He made numerous guest appearances on television, in programmes such as A Touch of Frost, Peak Practice and Holby City.

Mr Simon was born in Wolverhampton in 1909 and made his professional debut at 14 in a silent film. He came to the North-East when he took over the Theatre Royal in Darlington.

He said later: "When I took over the theatre it was on its last legs and had been playing third-rate girlie revues for years. By the sixth year, when we did Hamlet, we sold out the entire run ten months ahead. I was secretly very proud of that."

The company survived for 15 years and gave stars such as Wendy Craig their first roles.

Mr Simon married actress Nancy McDermid in St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington, in 1940 and they had two daughters. After his wife's death in 1958, he remarried in 1965 and had a son.

He served in the RAF during the war and then returned to Darlington. His theatre in the town had burnt down, but he built a new one and worked there until 1951, when he joined the BBC.

Mr Simon worked throughout his life, and was dubbed the actor with the longest career in British showbusiness.

He had just completed filming The Final Curtain with Peter O'Toole when he was taken ill and died.