NATIONAL: Roger Moore dies from cancer aged 89

A message shared on the actor's official Twitter account read: 'With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated.'

The statement continued: 'It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer.

'The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.

'We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for Unicef, which he considered to be his greatest achievement.

'The affection our father felt whenever he walked on to a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London's Royal Festival Hall.

'The capacity crowd cheered him on and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born.

'Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people.

'Our thoughts must now turn to supporting Kristina at this difficult time, and in accordance with our father's wishes there will be a private funeral in Monaco.'

The statement was signed by Sir Roger's children, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian.

Sir Roger was the longest-serving actor to play the womanising MI6 agent, having portrayed 007 in seven films.