PADDINGTON Bear’s creator Michael Bond CBE, a former Haslemere resident, has died aged 91

following a short illness.

Bond (pictured, who lived with his first wife Brenda and their daughter Karen in Farnham Lane in the 1970s, was a giant of children’s literature and the author of more than 200 books.

More than 35 million Paddington books have been sold worldwide and enjoyed by generations.

‘Darkest Peru’s’ most celebrated emigrant inspired toys, TV programmes and films.

A sequal of the 2014 box office hit Paddington, is due later this year.

Bond was working as a BBC cameraman when he bought Brenda, a toy bear one Christmas because he thought it looked lonely on the shelf and christened it Paddington.

His first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published by William Collins in 1958. He wrote several other series of children’s books with animal protagonists.

Karen, who was a pupil at Haslemere’s Royal School – then called The Royal Naval School – had a pet guinea pig that inspired Olga da Polga in 1971.

Following his death, she said: “It’s a shock to everybody. For me, he was the most wonderful father you can imagine, so obviously our loss is personal.

“But it’s wonderful he’s left the legacy of his books and Paddington that will live on for ever, which is really very special,” Karen added.

“The whole world is lucky to have had him…Paddington himself is so real to all of us, he’s still a part of our family and we’re very lucky.”

Educated at Presentation College, Reading, Bond left at 14 and worked as an office boy for a solicitor before joining the BBC as a trainee engineer.

Durring WWII, he initially joined the RAF, but transferred to the Army and served briefly in Egypt.

He returned to the BBC Monitoring Service, where he met Brenda, and started work as a cameraman in 1956.

He was awarded the OBE in 1997 for services to children’s literature, and CBE in 2015.

Bond married Brenda Johnson in 1950.

They divorced in 1981 and he married Susan Rogers, who survives him together with Karen and a son from a separate relationship.

Haslemere Bookshop owner Emily Adsett said this week: “We were very sad to hear of Michael Bond’s passing – the Paddington stories are still among our most popular children’s books.

“The books are still relevant today, as they promote the message of empathy and acceptance.”