HUDDERSFIELD-born comedy actor Gorden Kaye has treated himself.

And he's returned to his home town to do it.

Gorden, 63, has bought himself a limited edition luxury Jaguar.

The funnyman - who found fame starring in the 1980s sitcom Allo Allo - said: "I'm a true Yorkshireman and got a deal I couldn't resist so I thought `why not'."

So he swapped his diesel VW Polo for the £23,000 Jaguar X-Type XS limited edition. Only 550 of them have been made.

They come in just three colours - silver, black or quartz and Gorden chose quartz, which is a metallic grey.

And, in a way, with his cars he's now reflected all the characters from Allo Allo - German, French and British.

"I've had a Renault, a BMW, VWs and now a Jaguar which is synonymous with the best of British," he said.

Moldgreen-born Gorden lived in Huddersfield until 1979, when he moved to London.

He starred as bar owner René Artois in Allo Allo - both on TV and on stage worldwide - from 1982 to 1992, but is now taking life easier.

He moved back to Yorkshire in 2000 and lives in north Leeds.

He joked: "I saw a house there that was irresistible, so I irresisted it.

"But I love being back in Yorkshire."

And the sense of humour's as strong as ever.

As one of the salesmen drove the car around the forecourt for the photo, Gorden shouted to him: "Don't put too many miles on it. I've not paid for it yet!"

FACTFILE

* Born in Moldgreen in 1941.

* His first job after leaving school was as a sales clerk in the Milnsbridge offices of woollen manufacturer John Crowther and Son, for a weekly wage of £4.

* A friend took him along to a drama group at Huddersfield Technical College - and Gorden, pictured right, was hooked.

* In a festival at the Bradford Playhouse he was judged best actor at the festival by playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn.

* He played Elsie Tanner's nephew in Coronation Street at the time it switched from black and white to colour.

* Gorden moved to London in 1979. His career took off when he was cast as cafe owner Rene Artois in Allo, Allo, which became an international hit.

* They made 91 episodes between from 1982 and 1992.

* The series became the BBC's biggest-selling international show and sold in 74 countries.

* Now, more and more amateur theatrical companies are doing it.

* Gorden's acting career began in the late 60s and he has worked extensively in radio, as well as on TV, film and stage.

* He was featured on This Is Your Life.

* He is a former King Rat, head of the Water Rats celebrities who raise thousands of pounds for charities.

* He suffered terrible head injuries in January 1990 when a freak wind blew a scaffolding plank into his car windscreen in London.