Shropshire fans of Patrick McGoohan, star of the cult TV series The Prisoner, have been paying tribute to the actor after his death was announced.

Mr McGoohan, who was 80, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a short illness.

He was still best known for The Prisoner, which was filmed at Portmeirion, in North Wales and screened in 1967.

Mr McGoohan, who turned down the role of James Bond, is credited with the concept of the series, which was about a secret agent being held in a mysterious ‘village’.

The actor used the show to address his concerns about freedom, the power of the state and human rights. The programme has remained a cult favourite and is still being shown on television. A remake starring Sir Ian McKellen is currently in development.

Alan Beale, a member of Shrewsbury Six of One, a Prisoner appreciation group, said Mr McGoohan had been “ahead of his time”.

“It’s very sad news,” said Mr Beale, who helps to organise the society’s annual conventions at Portmeirion.

“I think the best tribute is the fact that people are still talking about the show all these years later,” he added.

“We have been getting emails from all over the world.”

Mr Beale said the society’s conventions, which have been held for the past 30 years, had visitors from many countries.

He said the fans did not take the series “too seriously” .

“We have people from all walks of life,” he added. “It’s a social event.”

Mr Beale said McGoohan was a “unique figure”.

“His series really was years ahead of its time. It’s very visionary. It was one of the first TV series to actually make people think.”

Fellow prisoner fan Roger Langley wrote a biography of the actor and spoke to him often over the telephone.

“He was a fascinating man,” he said. “His death was a very difficult piece of news to receive.”

Mr Langley has, perhaps, more reasons than other Prisoner fans to be grateful for the series.

He met his wife at a convention 25 years ago, and the couple have three children.

“If he had not made the series that wouldn’t have happened,” Mr Langley said.

• To see online tributes to Patrick McGoohan click here