It's a very sad day for Glee fans as news of Cory Monteith's death trickles through from Canada. The 31 year old actor was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room.

Authorities said Mr Monteith's body was discovered at about midday local time on Saturday at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, by staff who had gone to inspect the room when he did not present for checkout. It's believed that he had been dead for several hours by the time they found him.

Foul play has been ruled out, but police officers would not comment on speculation that the actor, who had previously admitted himself to rehab, had died of a drug overdose. An autopsy will be carried out on Monday t confirm the cause of death.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person" a representative for Fox, the production company behind Monteith's international smash hit TV show said. "He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones."

'We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate", Monteith's publicist said. "We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss." The actor's Glee co-star's took to Twitter to express their disbelief, with Mark Salling's "No" (which has since been deleted) being retweeted thousands of times within seconds of it appearing on the Twitter feed.

Dot Marie Jones (Coach Beiste) Iqbal Theba (Principal Figgins) and Kristin Chenoweth (April Rhodes) all lined up to pay their respects online too. #RIPCoryMonteith is still trending.

Fans are now attempting to rally support for Monteith's girlfriend and co-star Lea Michele online. The pair were rumoured to be engaged, and due to marry this year, but reports of any impending nuptials remained unconfirmed. A representative for the actress released a brief statement: "We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea's privacy during this devastating time."

RIP