Boozy James Bond drank too much researchers say

Boozy James Bond may have drunk too many Martinis according to researchers who have calculated how often Britain's most famous spy had a tipple.

The study of 12 of the Ian Fleming novels over a period of six months revealed that 007 often drank more than four times the weekly recommended limit of alcohol. Such regular drinking could have caused alcohol-related tremor in his hands.

The experts said that although they appreciated the pressures to drink "when working with international terrorists and high stakes gamblers", they would advise Bond seek help for how much he drinks.

Patrick Davies, from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and a colleague read 12 of the Ian Fleming novels over a period of six months.

They took detailed notes regarding Bond's alcohol consumption and worked out he was way over the recommended limit for men (currently the NHS says no more than three or four units a day).

The researchers found many examples where Bond drove over the limit and suggested he may have felt the need to drink due to the highly stressful nature of his job.

The researchers looked at 14 books originally but excluded two either because Bond barely appeared or they were a collection of short stories.In the 12 books, 123.5 days were described, though Bond was unable to consume alcohol for 36 days because of "external pressures (admission to hospital, incarceration, rehabilitation)", the authors wrote in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The researchers said Bond was at "considerable risk of developing alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, impotence, and other alcohol-related health problems, together with being at serious risk of injury or death because of his drinking.

"We conclude that James Bond was unlikely to be able to stir his drinks, even if he would have wanted to, because of likely alcohol-induced tremor," they added.