Michael Bond, the creator of children’s literary character Paddington Bear, died on Tuesday aged 91 following a short illness.
First appearing in the 1958 story “A Bear called Paddington”, the character was named after the London railway station where he was found, having arrived from “deepest, darkest Peru” according to Bond’s famous description.
The bear was wearing a tag around his neck that read “Please look after this bear”.
He has been enjoyed by generations of children, with more than 35 million books sold.
“Paddington”, a film based on the character, was released in 2014 to critical and commercial success.