A FILM producer who created one of the most iconic moments in British cinema history – when Barbara Windsor’s bikini flew off in the 1969 comedy Carry On Camping – has died.

Paul Cowan went on to produce some of the best films of the 1980s and 1990s including The Crying Game and The Krays but it may be his first foray on a film set that was his most notorious.

The 77-year-old from Bampton had his first break in the industry on the Carry On films and stood off camera pulling a fishing wire and hook attached to the young actress’ bikini ‘time and time again’ until the scene was successfully shot.

In the film Windsor’s character Babs is doing an outdoor aerobic session at a family campsite when her bikini top flies off towards Kenneth Williams.

Mr Cowan’s wife Karen said that despite being assistant director on the film its ‘shoestring’ budget meant Paul had the honour of manually creating the iconic moment.

She said: “During a time when trade unions had a stronghold on the UK film industry, getting his break on the Carry On films as a third assistant director was an achievement.

“But under a strict hierarchy, Paul still worked his way rapidly up to first assistant director.

“His first film – Carry On Camping was filmed on a shoestring, in a few days, with angry farmers and a lot of mud.”

“Paul had the fun task of removing Barbara Windsor’s bikini top again and again with a fishing wire and hook.”

The grandfather-of-two developed dementia in his latter years and died from heart disease earlier this month.

A full obituary appears in today's Oxford Mail.