'St Trinian's' creator Ronald Searle dies, aged 91

Cartoonist Ronald Searle has died at the age of 91.

The artist, who created the St Trinian's characters, died "peacefully in his sleep" in France, his daughter Kate confirmed.

Searle passed away in hospital near his home in Draguignan, in France's south-eastern Var region.

Martin Salisbury of Anglia Ruskin University told Cambridge News: "He was our greatest alumnus and he has been an inspiration to generation after generation of graphic artists at Cambridge School of Art which spread to Anglia Ruskin University."

He added of Searle's passing: "It was not unexpected because his beloved wife died a few weeks ago."

Searle first drew the famous schoolgirl characters in 1941 and a movie version called The Belles of St Trinian's was made in 1954.

The film spawned a number of sequels, and the series was rebooted with St Trinian's in 2007, followed in 2009 by St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.

Star Tamsin Egerton revealed last year that she would "love" to feature in a third film based on Searle's characters.

In addition to creating the St Trinian's girls, Searle co-wrote the Molesworth books with Geoffrey Willans.

View images from Ronald Searle's original St Trinian's cartoons and 1950s movie adaptation below: