BAY MP Roger Gale led tributes to former Herne funnyman Dave Lee this week after he lost his battle with cancer. The 64-year-old died on Monday afternoon, just months after being diagnosed.

He had pulled out of this year's Marlowe Theatre pantomime but insisted the show must go on – and with it his popular ghost gag bench sketch.

Dave raised more than £2 million for his Dave Lee's Happy Holidays charity, which he founded with his late wife Lynda and ran for many years from their home in Curtiswood Park Road, Herne.

Mr Gale said: "Dave Lee was one of those rare and magical people who spread light and laughter to all around them. His irreverent humour was a source of huge merriment.

"Remember Dave for his generosity, his kindness, his fortitude and, above all, with a chuckle.

"Somewhere he will already be entertaining those who have gone before him and the peals of the bells will be blended with peals of laughter."

Panto producer Paul Hendy said the whole cast and crew were upset by the news of his death.

He said: "Dave was enormously popular, not just in the community but in showbiz too.

"My phone hasn't stopped ringing. Although everyone in our business does charity work, Dave went that extra mile and everyone loved him."

The father of three and much-loved grandad won support from a host of showbiz pals for his charity, providing holidays for sick, disabled and deprived children.

Among them were former EastEnders John "Nasty Nick" Altman, from Herne Bay, and Shaun "Barry Evans" Williams, comedian Jim Davidson and children's TV presenter Stephen Mulhern.

Dave was awarded the MBE in 2004 for his work under his real name David Legge. Lynda died in 2006 from cancer, aged 58.

Speaking in 2010, when the charity passed the £2 million mark, he said he had been inspired by his experiences as a child, including catching TB, a burst appendix, peritonitis, pleurisy and double pneumonia.

Dave's career began in comedy show band Chaucer's Tales before Eric Morecambe suggested he should go solo. He appeared on television as warm-up for Michael Aspel and Jimmy Tarbuck and was nominated in the British Comedy Awards.

On stage, Dave racked up more than 1,180 shows at the Marlowe Theatre without a single day off sick and also appeared in the West End in Jim Davidson's Sinderella. He appeared at the old Marlowe's final night, when he performed a specially-extended ghost gag sketch with former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, John Altman, panto producer Paul Hendy, Stephen Mulhern, impressionist Hilary O'Neil, EastEnders actress Emma Barton and pint-sized Phil Holden.

He had been desperate to appear in the new theatre and partly fulfilled his wish when his entertainer friends Bradley Walsh and Joe Pasquale took him for a day out, including a visit to the new theatre where he watched rehearsals for Cinderella. He also saw the dressing room suite named after him.

There are now calls for a permanent memorial to Dave at the theatre.

Dave was also due to receive the Freedom of the City of Canterbury at the end of this month.

Council bosses are now discussing with his family whether to go ahead.