John Irvin, the British director best known for the Vietnam war film "Hamburger Hill" and the BBC's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" miniseries, has died aged 86. His producers confirmed he passed away on 11 August at the home of his sister-in-law in the UK, closing out a career that spanned more than three decades and over 30 films across documentary, television and Hollywood cinema.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1940, Irvin trained at the London Film School before making 1960s documentaries, including the BAFTA-nominated "Mafia No!". His acclaimed 1970s adaptation of John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" earned BAFTA and Emmy nominations, and he went on to direct major Hollywood names such as Patrick Swayze, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman, before returning to European independent films. He was working on a new edit of "Mandela's Gun" at the time of his death, and is survived by his three children and two grandchildren; his wife Sophie predeceased him in 1991.