Buffy the Vampire star Robin Sachs dies

English actor Robin Sachs best known for his appearance in Buffy the Vampire Slayer has died aged 61.

A message on his official website said: “This is a post we never thought we would have to write. It is with great sadness that we have to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Robin Sachs.

"Please join us in raising a glass to Robin – goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much."

Further details of his death are yet to be announced.

Sachs appeared in four episodes of the Vampire series as Ethan Rayne, enemy to Anthony Head’s character Rupert Giles, a seemingly benevolent owner of a costume shop who cursed his costumes so that the wearer became whoever they were dressed as.

Sachs also portrayed characters in several science fiction franchises, including roles in Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager and Torchwood.

He played the main villain General Roth'h'ar Sarris in 1999 comedy Galaxy Quest, and also provided the voice for Zaeed Massani in the video games Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Friends and fans took to Twitter to pay their respects to Sachs, including Armin Shimerman, who played bartender Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Principal Snyder in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Shimerman tweeted: “It is with great pain&shock,Kitty & I mourn the loss of our friend Robin Sachs. All who knew him,knew how special Robin was.”

And Whedonesque, a blog devoted to the works of Buffy creator Joss Whedon, tweeted: “Any Buffy episode with Ethan Rayne was a joy to watch. Robin Sachs was such a good actor.”