Jay North has died at the age of 73

A post shared on Facebook written on behalf of Jeanne Russell - who played Margaret in 'Dennis the Menace' - read: "Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news. Our dear friend JAY NORTH has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home."

Following his rise to fame, Jay - who is survived by his wife Cindy Hackney and his three stepdaughters - appeared on programmes such as 'My Three Sons ' and 'The Lucy Show'.

He also appeared on 'Here Comes the Grump' and voiced the character of Bamm-Bamm Rubble on 'The Flintstones' for a period of time but retired from acting altogether after more dramatic roles failed to materialise.

In 1990, he learned that former child star Paul Petersen had taken his own life so sought therapy over the abuse he had suffered as a child in Hollywood, and joined the organisation A Minor Consideration.

Three years later, the release of the 'Dennis the Menace' film prompted media interest in what became of Jay and he eventually opened up about the difficulties he had faced.

The post continued: "As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after...but he did not let it define his life. He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with "I love you with all my heart." And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of Jon's, a brother to Jeanne and a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace."

Jay made his final credited appearance in a 1999 episode of 'The Simpsons' and moved to Florida, where he started up a new career as a correctional office but still made appearances at various events to meet with fans.

In 1999, he reflected to E! News: "I am so happy that I was able to have such a positive impact on people's lives. I'm going to write my autobiography and then I'm just going to live a contented, happy life here in Lake Butler with the people I love, and kind of just vanish into the mists of time."