HEREFORDSHIRE playwright Jeremy Sandford whose drama 'Cathy Come Home' was once voted the second greatest television programme of all time, has died aged 72.

Mr Sandford, of Hatfield Court, near Leominster, was also renowned for his TV screenplay 'Edna the Inebriate Woman'.

'Cathy Come Home', a 1960s BBC play portraying homelessness and social injustice, finished runner-up in a poll of 1,600 from the TV industry in 2000.

Eton-educated Mr Sandford became a flamboyant character, often sporting colourful jumpers, and was a great supporter of the gipsy culture, the basis of his film 'I'm a Romany Rai'.

He married the granddaughter of a Canadian multi-millionaire industrialist, writer Nell Dunn, who gathered material for her acclaimed novels 'Up the Junction' and 'Poor Cow' while working in a sweet factory.

His second wife, Philippa Sandford, describes her late husband as her 'best friend'. The singer, poet and actress knew Jeremy for 28 years. They had toured with poet group Dream Topping and he would compose music for her songs.

Jeremy's father Christopher Sandford was closely associated with the Golden Cockerel Press, and his mother, Lettice Sandford, helped revive the corn dolly craft, was an engraver, water colourist and drama director.

They had lived at Eye Manor next to his grandmother, Mary Lady Carbery at Eye Manor Cottage. Mary sparked his fascination for Romanies, and was one of the few non-gipsy folk who could speak Romany.