Tributes continue to pour in for Cambridge-born actor and director Richard Attenborough

Former Cambridge scholar Stephen Fry has joined the many high-profile figures paying tribute to actor and director Richard Attenborough, who has died at the age of 90.

Lord Attenborough was born in Cambridge in 1923 and his father was a don at the university.

Following news of his death, former University of Cambridge student Stephen Fry, who lives in Norfolk, said: "Sad to head of Dickie Attenborough. He did so much in so many arenas."

The city's mayor, Gerri Bird, has also paid tribute, saying Cambridge "should be very proud" of the Gandhi director.

Lord Attenborough starred in the 1960 British drama Angry Silence, which was filmed in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Scenes from the set were featured in the opening-night film introducing Anglia Television to the region in 1959.

Explaining the kind of programmes and news items viewers could expect from the station, the announcer said: "When a big film is being made nearby, we will be there talking to the stars.

"In Ipswich the other day, we had Richard Attenborough making the Angry Silence."

Click below to watch the film Introducing Anglia.

Lord Attenborough championed the British film industry through its triumphs and trials, enjoying success as one of Britain's leading actors before becoming a celebrated director and prolific movie-maker.

In a statement the film academy said that Lord Attenborough's "passionate support" for more than 50 years was "integral to who we are today", adding: "He will be sorely missed. A titan of British cinema, to say he embodied its finest qualities is to have it backwards. British film would do well to live up to the example of industry, skill and compassion set by Richard, Lord Attenborough."

His career highlights included appearing in 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park and clinching eight Oscars for 1982 film Gandhi, including best film and best director.

As an actor he was respected enough for top directors Satyajit Ray and Steven Spielberg to lure him out of self-imposed retirement to appear respectively in The Chess Players and Jurassic Park.

Jurassic Park director Spielberg, who chose Lord Attenborough to be "the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life" in the films, said he is just one person in a long line of "Dickie's" fans.

In tribute, Spielberg said: "Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life - family, friends, country and career.

"He made a gift to the world with his emotional epic Gandhi and he was the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life as John Hammond in Jurassic Park."

Star of Gandhi Sir Ben Kingsley said he had grown to love the director, who had worked tirelessly to bring the Indian leader's story to the big screen.

"He placed in me an absolute trust and in turn I placed an absolute trust in him and grew to love him," said Sir Ben.

"I along with millions of others whom he touched through his life and work will miss him dearly."

Prime Minister David Cameron was among the first to pay tribute to Lord Attenborough.

"His acting in Brighton Rock was brilliant, his directing of Gandhi was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema," he said.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "The death of Richard Attenborough is a sad day for the film world and the Labour movement. He and his work will be remembered."