Novelist and screenwriter Stephen S Thompson, who gained attention in TV circles through Sitting in Limbo, died at the age of 56.

It was announced by Thompson's family, through their agent, Caserotto Ramsay & Associates, that he had died of cancer on 26 May.

He worked hard to overcome obstacles after being diagnosed just a month earlier and spent the final few weeks at home on end-of-life care.

Thompson is a novelist and screenwriter of Jamaican origin.

He came to attention in TV circles through Sitting in Limbo, which came from The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures.

Thompson's first novel, Toy Soldiers, was an acclaimed semi-autobiographical piece by Adolescence Publications in 2000.