WEALTHY Bournemouth land owner Sir George Meyrick has died.

Meyrick Estate, which owns vast areas of land in the town worth tens of millions of pounds, said he passed away on Thursday, October 24.

No further details have been released and it is not known when a funeral service will be held.

Large areas of Bournemouth including the seafront and the East Cliff come under the umbrella of the Meyrick Estate.

Hotels and apartment blocks are built on land which was bought more than 200 years ago by members of the Meyrick family.

The town was roughly divided up and bought by Sir George Tapps, whose family later took the name of Gervis, then Meyrick - and William Dean, the founder of the Cooper Dean dynasty.

Sir George featured in the Sunday Times Rich List and also owns large areas land in the New Forest and in Wales.

He also owned the home in Anglesey where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, lived as newly-weds and new parents.

He and his son, George W. Meyrick, were guests at the royal couple's wedding.