NEIL Connery, younger brother of Sean, has died at the age of 83.

The Scot, who starred in James Bond spoof Operation Kid Brother, passed away on Monday morning following a long illness.

He is survived by wife Eleanor and daughters Martine and Leone.

Born on New Year's Day 1938, Neil was seven years younger than Sean, who died last year aged 90.

Having originally trained as a plasterer, Neil did not reach the same level of stardom as his brother, with only sporadic on-screen roles.

The biggest of these came in 1967's Operation Kid Brother. He also appeared in 1969 film The Body Stealers and an episode of Taggart in 1989.

George Lazenby, who played James Bond in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, paid tribute on Twitter saying Neil will “join his great brother”.

After Sean's death last year, Eleanor told the Daily Record that Neil was left devastated. "He's just very upset at losing his only brother," she said.

Talking about Sean, she added: "He was a person to be admired and loved and we just feel it's the end of an era. And that's really all I have to say because anything else would be meaningless."