Comedy actor, writer and director Harold Ramis, who first found fame in Ghostbusters, has died aged 69.

Mr Ramis died on Monday in Chicago surrounded by his family. He had been suffering from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis – or swelling of the blood vessels – for the last four years.

The filmmaker wrote, directed and starred in some of the best-loved comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, including Caddyshack, Groundhog Day and Analyze This.

More recently, he made a cameo as Seth Rogen’s father in Knocked Up, and directed several episodes of US-television series The Office.

Tributes to the late actor poured in from Hollywood, with his former co-stars and cast-members taking to Twitter to send their condolences.

Billy Crystal, who starred in the director’s films Analyze This and Analyze That, wrote: “Sad to hear my friend Harold Ramis passed away. A brilliant, funny actor and director. A wonderful husband and dad. Big loss to us all.”

His Ghostbusters co-star Dan Aykroyd added: “Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend, co-writer / performer and teacher.”

Mr Ramis is survived by his wife Erica, three children and two grandchildren.