A commemorative blue plaque has been installed to mark the Purley home where Peter Cushing lived.

The iconic actor, well known today for his role as intergalactic Star Wars villain Grand Moff Tarkin, lived on St James Road for 13 years during his school days.

Born in 1913, Cushing enjoyed a long and illustrious career, appearing in 91 films before his death in 1994.

Paul, Jenny and daughter Indie Camlett now live in the recently renovated property and were excited to see its historic legacy recognised with the plaque’s installation in late July.

Mr Camlett said: “When we moved in, people would often say 'did you know Peter Cushing lived here'.

“A policeman came to the door once and we thought something was wrong.

“It turned out he was a Star Wars fan and simply wanted to talk to us about the house.

“The house suffered years of neglect, so our focus was very much on renovating, but it did occur to us that Peter Cushing touched that door knob and walked on those steps, so it was important to preserve as many elements and features of the house as possible, otherwise it would be like eradicating his existence.

“I like the idea there are traces of his DNA about the place.

“There was an old servants bell and Peter Cushing talks about his maid in his biography (she was very clumsy and kept breaking the china).

“It was important, therefore, to preserve this essential feature, knowing Peter Cushing pressed that button many times, and it links in beautifully with his memoir.”

The English Heritage blue plaque scheme recognises the former residences of famous figures across the country.

To qualify, the subject must have been dead for 20 years or born 100 years ago.

Cushing was best known for his role in the first Star Wars (1977), playing a villainous imperial commander central to the blockbuster film’s plot.

His memorable performance gave him an important role in the franchise, so much so that he appeared from beyond the grave in the recent Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), being brought back to life through state-of-the-art visual effects.

He was attracted to the fantasy genre, gaining early fame for his portrayal of Baron Frankenstein in Hammer Film Productions’ the Curse of Frankenstein (1956), and in 1965 played the iconic sci-fi character Dr Who.

Cushing died of cancer at the Pilgrim’s Hospice, Canterbury on 11 August 1994.