Former RSC chair Sir Christopher Bland dies

Tributes have been paid to former RSC chairman Sir Christopher Bland following his death at the age of 78.

He was chairman of the Royal Shakespeare Company between 2004 and 2011, during which time the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre were rebuilt at a cost of around £113 million.

Prior to that Sir Christopher, who had enjoyed huge successes as a city businessman, headed the BBC's board of governors.

He died on Saturday after battling prostate cancer.

His family said in a statement: “Christopher died peacefully at home. He had defied cancer for three years and continued to live with his usual extraordinary warmth, generosity, energy and humour.

"He relished every day of his life, and to those that loved him he is irreplaceable.

"We're enormously proud of everything he achieved, from steering the BBC through tough times to his late flowering as a novelist, and we'll miss him more than we can say."

Sir Christopher is survived by his wife Lady Jennifer, his son – Archie Bland, who first announced his father’s death on Twitter - and his four step-children.

Tributes are pouring in online for Sir Christopher, with many describing him as an inspirational figure, and someone who championed the arts and supported charities alongside his business interests.

His friend, the novelist Robert Harris, said: "He was a terrific character, a real force of nature, and I'll miss him.”