Robert Vaughn, the actor best known for playing the suave Napoleon Solo in 1960s television spy series, The Man from UNCLE, died on Friday from leukaemia, his manager said.

Matthew Sullivan said Vaughn, 83, died in hospital surrounded by his wife and two children. The actor had been receiving treatment for acute leukaemia, Mr Sullivan said.

Vaughn starred with David McCullum in The Man From UNCLE, a series that mixed humour with drama and which proved a hit at the height of the Cold War.