"She had advanced bone marrow cancer which she had an operation for. But, last Thursday, she had a scan and then the descent was fast. In the end, her death was painless and quick," he said.
Wells, himself an actor, added: "She was an absolutely fantastic mother, who was very down to earth... Both (his sister) Sasha and I feel incredibly lucky to have her as a mother."
York acted on the stage, on television and in films, and was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress in "They Shoot Horses", the tale of a disparate group of characters taking part in a dance marathon.
She also starred in the multi-Oscar-winning story of Thomas More, "A Man for All Seasons" (1966).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------