DHAKA: Harry Potter villain Dave Legeno has died aged 50 while hiking in Death Valley in California.

Dailymail.co.uk says on Saturday.

The actor, who portrayed werewolf Fenrir Greyback in three movies in the wizard film franchise, was found by two hikers in the area on Sunday.

The Inyo County Sheriff's Department in California told TMZ that Dave died of heat stroke, it was revealed after an autopsy.

Temperatures in Death Valley are known to reach more than 120 degrees.

He played the werewolf in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as well as the final two movies in the film franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Dave's other film credits included 2000 movie Snatch, in which he started as John opposite Brad Pitt and Vinnie Jones.

BDST: 1417 HRS, JUL 12, 2014