MANCHESTER-born actor Jack Wild, who played The Artful Dodger in 1968 film Oliver!, has died at the age of 53, it was revealed on Thursday morning.

Wild was nominated for an Oscar when he was just 16 for his role in the movie. He suffered from mouth cancer and had his voice box and tongue removed.

Wild's agent Alex Jay said the actor "died peacefully at midnight after a long battle with oral cancer".

He lost his voice three years ago and communicated through his wife after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Wild recently said: "Until I was diagnosed with mouth cancer, I'd never heard of it.

"What I learned very quickly was that my lifestyle had made me a walking time bomb.

"I was a heavy smoker and an even heavier drinker and apparently together they are a deadly mixture."

The former child star from Royton, near Oldham, made his TV debut aged 13.

He had a string of screen credits when he was chosen to star as the pickpocketing urchin in the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver!

The role saw him appear alongside Oliver Reed and Harry Secombe in one of the final films to be directed by British movie legend Carol Reed.