Actor Jack Wild, most famed for his role as the Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver!, is due for emergency surgery after a cancerous growth was discovered in his mouth.

The star will have the operation later this week, resulting in the loss of his voicebox.

"It's been a really terrible time and we all feared he wouldn't be with us much longer," a friend told the News of the World. "It's a tragedy he will lose his voice box as a result of this but the alternative is just too grim to contemplate."

Wild shot to fame after appearing in the 1968 film, even landing his own US TV show at the age of 17.