A heartfelt tribute has been paid to "comedy genius" Freddie Starr by a Cumbrian musician who was given his big break by the outrageous comic.

Tom Tyson described Starr as "nuts, off his trolley" and completely unpredictable.

Starr, 76, was found dead at his home in Spain on Thursday.

Tom was recruited as bass player for the comedian's band - and was sacked three times during the year he worked for him.

"It was 1979, I was 19 and he gave me my first big professional job," explained Tom.

"He was the highest paid entertainer in the country at the time and being with him and staying in top hotels was a big culture shock for a lad from a council estate in Whitehaven.

"He was a comedy genius, but he was difficult to work with and we didn't always see eye to eye.

"He was nuts, off his trolley, unpredictable. He would take a gun out and shoot a telly.

"He told me that he had done some strange thing and I was shocked by it but he said 'Tom, after you have worked with me, you will be able to work with anyone'.

"The most embarrassing thing he did was when we were staying at a hotel near Manchester Airport. We were all having brunch at 11am when we heard screaming coming from reception.

"He had been kept awake all night by phone calls and people knocking on his door and he had come down completely naked with a sign saying 'Room 472 Do Not Disturb'.

"We were so embarrassed that we hid under the table, we did not want anyone to know we were with him."

Tom was on holiday when he got a late night phone call: "I was told that Freddie was back from Barbados because he was bored and wanted to record an album.

"A helicopter would pick me up, I had to be ready in half an hour. It was madness, just madness.

"I did a year with him and was sacked three times, I don't know why. We all got sacked on a weekly basis. In the end, I got a call saying 'Freddie wants you out' and I said fine."

Tom, now 59, went on a world tour with Gene Pitney, before returning home to set up Music Farm recording studio at Wilton, near Egremont and working as a sound engineer.

Despite their differences and all the mayhem, Tom said: "I was sad to hear of his passing, I really do think he was one of the greatest comedians, up there with Chaplin.

"I don't think TV showed him at his best because everything was contained, whereas live he was spontaneous and would just be Freddie.

"He was the first one to take me into a recording studio and its thanks to him that I am where I am today."