Goodnight, Miss moneypenny

Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond films, died of cancer last night at the age of 80. Moneypenney was the secretary to M, 007's boss and head of the secret service.

She appeared in more movies than any of the actors who played the lead role in the spy series, including Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore. Only Desmond Llewelyn, who played gadget man Q 17 times before his death in 1999, starred in more films.

Born Lois Hooker in Ontario, Canada, in 1927, her acting career started in radio, before she moved to the UK with the Entertainment Corps of the Canadian army at the age of 15.

In the late 1940s, she moved to Hollywood and picked up a best newcomer Golden Globe for her part in Shirley Temple comedy That Hagen Girl. After a spell working in Italy, she returned to the UK in the mid-1950s before goong on to appear in the 14 Bond films from 1962 to 1985.

She was 58 when she made her final Bond appearance, and was replaced by 26-year-old Caroline Bliss for The Living Daylights. Maxwell's husband, Peter Marriott, had died in 1973. She is survived by a daughter Melinda, 49, and son Christian, 48.