Creator of 'refugee bear' dies aged 91

LONDON - Michael Bond, the British creator of Paddington Bear, a marmalade sandwich-loving refugee from Peru who entertained generations of children with his exploits in London, died on Tuesday after a short illness. He was 91.

Wearing a tag round his neck that read "Please look after this bear", Paddington was named after the London railway station of the same name where he was found after a boat journey from "darkest Peru", according to Bond's 1958 story A Bear called Paddington.

Bond said the inspiration for the character came when he spotted a teddy bear in his flat, and wondered what would happen if a real bear arrived at Paddington Station like a World War II refugee with a label around his neck.