James Bond fan shares heartwarming moment he met Roger Moore

• By ITV News Washington Producer Dominique Heckels

A James Bond fan has shared a heartwarming memory of when he met actor Roger Moore.

The James Bond actor died on Tuesday, aged 89, from cancer.

A gentleman, talented, selfless and charismatic are words that have resonated around the globe on news of his death.

On Tuesday, fan Marc Haynes took to Facebook to tell the tale of the time that he met Roger Moore as a seven-year-old.

Marc was with his grandfather who hadn’t a clue who the Bond actor was at the time, but Mark couldn’t resist asking for an autograph from Mr Bond.

In a coincidental turn of events, Marc later encountered the actor while he was working as a UNICEF scriptwriter; UNICEF was a charity Roger Moore had long endorsed and worked closely with, the work he did was considered by the actor as “his greatest achievement”.

The beautifully constructed account of a turn of serendipitous events stand as a heart-warming tribute to Roger Moore.

He said as a seven-year-old he was with his grandfather in Nice Airport when he spotted Robert Moore.

He said he begged his grandfather to let him get the Bond star's autograph.

He wrote: "My grandad had no idea who James Bond or Roger Moore were, so we walked over and he popped me in front of Roger Moore, with the words 'my grandson says you're famous. Can you sign this?'

"As charming as you'd expect, Roger asks my name and duly signs the back of my plane ticket, a fulsome note full of best wishes. I'm ecstatic, but as we head back to our seats, I glance down at the signature. It's hard to decipher it but it definitely doesn't say 'James Bond'."

Marc said his grandfather told him it read "Roger Moore" and his heart sinks.

He wrote: "I tell my grandad he's signed it wrong, that he's put someone else's name - so my grandad heads back to Roger Moore, holding the ticket which he's only just signed.

"I remember staying by our seats and my grandad saying 'he says you've signed the wrong name. He says your name is James Bond.'

"Roger Moore's face crinkled up with realisation and he beckoned me over. When I was by his knee, he leant over, looked from side to side, raised an eyebrow and in a hushed voice said to me, 'I have to sign my name as 'Roger Moore' because otherwise... Blofeld might find out I was here'."

He then told Marc not to tell anyone that he'd just seen James Bond and thanked him for keeping his secret.

He said many years later, he was working as a scriptwriter on a recording that involved UNICEF and Roger Moore was doing a piece to camera as an ambassador.

Moore was "completely lovely" and while the cameramen were setting up, Marc told him in passing the story of when I met him in Nice Airport.

Marc wrote: "He was happy to hear it, and he had a chuckle and said 'Well, I don't remember but I'm glad you got to meet James Bond.' So that was lovely.

"And then he did something so brilliant. After the filming, he walked past me in the corridor, heading out to his car - but as he got level, he paused, looked both ways, raised an eyebrow and in a hushed voice said, 'Of course I remember our meeting in Nice. But I didn't say anything in there, because those cameramen - any one of them could be working for Blofeld.'

"I was as delighted at 30 as I had been at seven. What a man. What a tremendous man."

Marc has since set up a Unicef Just Giving page to raise money for the charity.

Marc says he will release a picture of the signed boarding pass if donations hit £1,000.

To donate to the Unicef fund, click here.