Puppeteer John Henson has died, aged 48.

The son of The Muppets creator Jim Henson passed away after suffering a heart attack at his home in New York on Friday (14Feb).

A statement released by The Jim Henson Company reads, "It is with great sadness that we confirm that John Henson, son of Jim and Jane Henson... died at age 48 of a sudden massive heart attack on Friday, February 14, while at home with his daughter. John served as a shareholder and board member of The Jim Henson Company. He leaves two daughters, Katrina (15) and Sydney (10) and his wife Gyongyi. A private service is being planned."

Henson occasionally performed as the muppet Sweets in his father's puppet troupe, and worked on films including Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.

He was also on the board of The Jim Henson Company. His father died in 1990, aged 53.