Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond dies

Michael Bond, children's author and creator of beloved character Paddington Bear, has died aged 91.

A statement from his publisher HarperCollins said Bond passed away at his home on Tuesday following a short illness.

Fans of the beloved author expressed their sadness at the news, and celebrated the author's work. Actor and presenter Stephen Fry led the tributes on Twitter:

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Comedian David Walliams expressed his condolences:

And others followed suit, including the official Paddington Bear Twitter account:

Bond published his first book, A Bear Called Paddington, in 1958 and went on to write more than 200 books. According to the Daily Telegraph, more than 35 million Paddington Bear books have been sold worldwide as of 2017.

His trademark character, described by the BBC as "a marmalade-loving bear from 'deepest, darkest Peru' who comes to live in London", served as the inspiration for a series of books, a TV show and a financially and critically successful film in 2014.

The the most recent Paddington book was released in April 2017, Paddington's Finest Hour, and a sequel to the hit 2014 film will be released later this year.

Alongside the mischievous bear, Bond created other children's characters including A Mouse Called Thursday, Olga da Polga and Monsieur Pamplemousse.