SIR Sean Connery has died at the age of 90, his family announced today.

The famous Scottish actor was best known for his portrayal of James Bond, being the first to bring the role to the big screen and appearing in seven of the spy thrillers.

His acting career spanned decades and his many awards included an Oscar, two Bafta awards and three Golden Globes.

Among his other big screen appearances were in The Hunt for Red October, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, plus The Rock.

He was largely regarded as being the best actor to have played 007 in the long-running franchise, often being named as such in polls.

His Oscar came in 1988, when he was named best supporting actor for his role as an Irish cop in The Untouchables.

He was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in 2000.

In August, he celebrated his 90th birthday.

Sir Sean’s son, Jason, told the BBC his father died peacefully in his sleep overnight while in the Bahamas, having been, “unwell for some time”.

Jason Connery said his father, “had as many of his family who could be in the Bahamas around him”, when he died.

He said: “We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time.

“A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor.”