Creator of toy phenomenon dies aged 87

CO-FOUNDER of Matchbox Toys Jack Odell has died after a two-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son-in-law said.

Mr Odell, 87, died peacefully in a residential home in Hertfordshire after a lengthy fight against the degenerative disorder. His son-in-law Josh Walsh said: “His partner Leslie Smith died recently as well, so this is the end of an era.”

The engineer entered the toy business after joining Lesney — originally a die-casting company started up by Leslie and Rodney Smith which had moved into toy production.