Gerry Anderson 'never wanted to work with puppets'

Gerry Anderson, creator of the Thunderbirds and Joe 90 puppet superhero TV shows, has died at the age of 83, his son has announced.

Anderson had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease since early 2010, and his condition had worsened in the past six months, Jamie Anderson said.

Gerry Anderson also created Stingray and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Nick Williams, chairman of the Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, said Anderson "never wanted to get into puppet films" and "wanted to be a serious film-maker".

Footage courtesy Thunderbirds/ITC and Century 21 Television