Frederick Forsyth has died at the age of 86.

A statement released by Curtis Brown, his literary agency, said that he died at home surrounded by his family after a brief illness.

The British author , who was one of the youngest ever RAF pilots and a former journalist, published more than 25 books.

His novels, which include The Day of the Jackal , have sold over 75 million copies.

Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said: “We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers.

“Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life – In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC1 – and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived.”

Mr Lloyd described how the author had used “his gift for languages in German, French and Russian

See Full Page