On the Buses star Stephen Lewis dies

On the Buses and Last of the Summer Wine star Stephen Lewis has died, aged 88.

The Mirror newspaper has reported that the actor died peacefully at 1.50am on Wednesday in the Cambridge Nursing Home, in Wanstead, east London.

Lewis was also known for his roles in Last of the Summer Wine and The All New Alexei Sayle Show in the mid 1990s.

Rashid Ebrahimkhan, the manager of the home, said: “He still had his sense of humour, very much so, like he was on On The Buses”.

Born in Poplar, London in 1926, Lewis began his career as a merchant seaman, but became an actor after signing on to join the Theatre Workshop, and made his West End debut in Brendan Behan’s The Hostage in 1958.

Lewis also penned a number of episodes of On the Buses, which was famous for its saucy humour.

Stephen had been in the care home for about three years with his sister 84-year-old Connie.

On The Buses actor died peacefully aged 88 [Rex].

He said: “I’ll remember him as being a amusing man”.

His character had a distinctive toothbrush moustache and used the catchphrase “I ‘ate you Butler”.

Mr Ebrahimkhan added: “He was very resilient until the last”.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday 25 August at Our Lady Of Lourdes church in Wanstead. So pleased we worked together on The Krays. His brother Gary Kemp twittered in that Lewis was “a huge part of my childhood and a gentleman towork with”.