Paul McCartney pays tribute to late Quarrymen bandmate Len Garry

Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his "dear old mate" and former Quarrymen bandmate Len Garry, who recently died at the age of 84.

McCartney shared a photo of the original Quarrymen in tribute with the caption, "My dear old mate from the Quarrymen, Len Garry, has passed away.

"He was a lovely guy and I'm sad to see him go but glad that we had so many fun times together. Rest in Peace Len, Love Paul."

McCartney and Garry began making music together as schoolboys and were both part of The Quarrymen's first steady line-up, which also consisted of John Lennon, Colin Hanton, Rod Davis, Pete Shotton and Eric Griffiths.

Lennon was already part of the band when McCartney joined in 1957, which was how they first met. George Harrison later joined the group on bass and after numerous line-up and name changes, they became the Beatles.

Garry's passing was confirmed by his family earlier this week. They revealed he had died of pneumonia.

"The doctor told us he had hours to live and I said straight away, 'He has to come home,' which the doctor allowed. I travelled with dad in the ambulance and got him home," his daughter Jane wrote on Instagram.

"I love you Dad and I will miss you Dad for the rest of my life. I'm beyond devastated."

A further tribute shared on The Quarrymen's social media noted, "He will be sorely missed by us and Beatle fans across the globe. Our thoughts are with Len's family and friends at this difficult time."