Novelist, second World War Spitfire pilot and spritualist Desmond Leslie has died in the south of France, aged 79.

His wife, Ms Helen Strong, his six children, sons-in-law, his older brother Sir John Leslie and Ms Jennifer Fibbs, with whom he had a daughter, were with him at the time of his death in hospital in Antibes.

Mr Leslie was the second son of Sir Shane Leslie, of Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Co Monaghan.

He wrote a number of books, including the bestselling Flying Saucers have Landed, which he co-authored with George Stransky. It was translated into more than 50 languages. He also co-authored Space Race with the astronomer Patrick Moore.

His novels included Suzy Saucer and Ronnie Rocket and The Incredible Mr Lutterworth. He also wrote The Jesus File. At the time of his death he was working on Pandora, a novel about the women in his life.

He had lived in St Jeannet since the late 1980s with Ms Strong, his second wife, with whom he had two daughters, Samantha and Camilla. Samantha runs the Castle Leslie estate. He was first married to the actress Agnes Bernelle, with whom he had three children.

Mr Leslie once famously punched the BBC drama critic Bernard Levin on the nose during the TV programme That Was The Week That Was. It was in 1963 when the critic had written a bad review of the show A Cabaret of Savagery and Delight, presented by Ms Bernelle.