Swayze death rumours 'reckless'

The actor is currently starring in US TV show The Beast

Reports that Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze was dead have been condemned as "reckless" by his publicist.

Annett Wolf said the star, who is battling pancreatic cancer, was alive and well and responding to treatment.

Rumours began on Tuesday after Florida radio station Kiss FM posted a Twitter message saying the 56-year-old had passed away. It was later removed.

Swayze was diagnosed with advanced stage four pancreatic cancer in January last year.

Wolf's statement read: "This is to confirm that Patrick Swayze did not pass away this morning contrary to severely reckless reports stemming from a radio station in Jacksonville, Florida."

"Patrick Swayze is alive, well and is enjoying his life and he continues to respond to treatment."

'Mean rumour'

After Kiss FM published its claim, the rumour spread quickly across the internet.

Swayze's page on online encyclopaedia Wikipedia was also updated to indicate the star had died, before swiftly being changed as doubts about the accuracy of the reports emerged.

Swayze is currently writing a memoir with his wife, Lisa Niemi

It is not the first time Swayze has had to deny reports about his health - in December US tabloids reported the star had just weeks to live.

At the time he condemned the allegations, calling them "shoddy and reckless reporting".

A month later he gave a TV interview acknowledging that he might have only two years more to live as his cancer was particularly virulent.

The actor has been starring in US TV show The Beast since being diagnosed with the disease.

He is also writing a memoir with his wife, Lisa Niemi, which will be published later this year.