GEORGE Sayer, inspirational teacher, scholar and friend to great writers, has died, aged 91.

Mr Sayer was the head of English at Malvern College for many years.

He enjoyed close friendships with J R R Tolkein, author of Lord of the Rings, and C S Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia series, two of the best-loved names in 20th Century English literature.

The two men used to visit Mr Sayer in Malvern, where they would enjoy walking on the hills, visiting local inns and holding erudite conversations.

Lewis was Mr Sayer's tutor at Magdalene College, Oxford, and they always remained friends.

Mr Sayer joined Malvern College in January 1945 and later became head of the English department, a post he held until his retirement in 1974. He stayed on for four more years as librarian.

In 1988, his acclaimed biography of C S Lewis, Jack, was published.

He will be remembered by generations of students for his enthusiasm, the way he guided pupils towards appreciation of literature and encouraged originality.

One of his most famous pupils, journalist Jeremy Paxman, described Mr Sayer as an inspirational teacher.

Colleagues will remember his founding of the college's wine society and his annual gift of stilton cheese to the common room.

A requiem mass is being held at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Newtown Road, at 11am on Thursday, November 3.