‘Hero’ West off to great Batcave in the sky

ACTOR Adam West who played the original Batman in the classic 1960s TV series died yesterday. He was 88.

The star – whose tongue-incheek portrayal of the Caped Crusader and his alter ego Bruce Wayne led to him being named as one of the most iconic TV performers of the 20th Century – died in Los Angeles after a short battle with leukaemia.

He died at his home in Hollywood with Marcela, his wife of 47 years, by his side

In a statement the family described him as ‘our hero’.

Burt Ward, 71, who played Batman’s sidekick Robin in the show, said in a statement that he was ‘devastated at the loss of one my very dearest friends’.

‘In my eyes, there was only one real Batman that is – and always will be – Adam West,’ he added.