Britain's most prolific tunnel-digger, nicknamed The Mole after escaping from three different prisoner-of-war camps, has died at 95.

Determined Warrant Officer John Fancy helped dozens of captured soldiers escape by digging at least eight tunnels under a series of PoW camps in Poland, Lithuania and Germany during World War II.

The grandfather of 10, spent five years in PoW camps after he was shot down as an RAF navigator over France in a bombing raid on May 14, 1940.

He became the Allied Forces' top tunnel digger, helping comrades escape on many occasions. He escaped himself three times but was recaptured on each occasion.

Mr Fancy dug his tunnels using various improvised tools including a 10in butter knife.

He dug at least eight tunnels during the war, some of which were discovered by the Germans, but others led to the escape of dozens of men.

He was finally released in 1945 and became a full-time gardener, land manager and author of two books about his exploits. Mr Fancy, who died last week, was described by his daughter Janet Fancy as an extraordinary man.

"He was wonderful, and above all else he was a doer," the 68-year-old divorcee from Kingsbridge, Devon, said. "He never left anything to anyone else, if he could do it himself then he got stuck in.

"My father took a lot of risks during the war trying to do his bit to get soldiers out of the camps. He dug at least eight very deep and long tunnels.

"During his long stint as a prisoner-of-war, he acquired the reputation as the most determined escaper the Germans had ever encountered."