Francis Matthews, the voice of Captain Scarlet in the 1960s TV show 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons', has passed away at the age of 86 years following a short illness.
The news of his death was reported on 'Captain Scarlet' creator Gerry Anderson's website, reported Contactmusic.
"We are very sorry to report that Francis Matthews, best known to Gerry Anderson fans as the voice of the indestructible puppet hero Captain Scarlet, has died aged 86," he wrote.
Matthews is survived by three sons from late wife Angela Browne.
He voiced the puppet in the science-fiction television series which ran between 1967 and 1968.
The series, which was set in 2068, followed the story of Captain Scarlet, the primary agent of Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation battling the Mysterons, a race of martians from Mars who have declared war on Earth.
From 1969 Matthews also played Paul Temple in the BBC detective series of the same name.
Born and raised in York, Matthews began his acting career at the Leeds repertory theatre before serving in the Royal Navy.
