Nigel Hawthorne changed will to protect partner's rights

Nigel Hawthorne changed his will before he died so his lover could continue to live in their home.

Trevor Bentham says they realised they had no rights as a gay couple.

The actor died of a heart attack on St Stephen's after fighting cancer for 18 months.

Trevor and Nigel had been partners for 22 years, living in a 15th century manor house in Hertfordshire.

They had first written their wills when Trevor was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy five years ago.

"When Nigel was told he had a tumour it made us rewrite them," Trevor said.

"He realised we had no civil rights as a couple, not even in common law, even though we'd lived together for so long."