The celebrated Jewish playwright Harold Pinter is to have a theatre named in his honour.

Mr Pinter, who died in 2008 at the age of 78, won a Nobel Prize for literature and was the author of 32 plays including The Birthday Party and The Caretaker.

His name will now adorn the Comedy Theatre in London's West End. The venue has played host to several Pinter productions, including a version of Betrayal starring Kristin Scott Thomas this summer. The playwright also directed his own work there.

Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), which owns the theatre, described it as "a fitting tribute to a man who made such a mark on British theatre".

The ATG creative director, Howard Panter, said Mr Pinter's work was an integral part of the venue's history.

Born in East London, in later life Mr Pinter became known for his left-wing views and his heavy criticism of Israel. He was a founding member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians.