Roger Moore criticised for 'racist' comments about Idris Elba's chances of taking over role of James Bond

Roger Moore, who portrayed James Bond in seven films, insisted he had said nothing racist about fellow British actor Idris Elba - tipped to play the superspy next - in a French magazine interview.

The 87-year-old, who played the suave British agent from 1973 to 1985, insisted his meaning had been lost in translation.

"An interview I gave to Paris Match implies I said something racist about Idris Elba. That is simply untrue," Moore wrote on Twitter, using the hashtag "Lost in translation".

He added: "When a journalist asks if 'Bond should be English' and you agree, then quotes you saying it about Idris Elba it's out of context."

Reproductions of the interview have led to Moore being blasted by Twitter users.

In the interview, Moore was talking about the different actors who have played Agent 007 on screen. In the 23 official Bond films to date, the title role has been played in turn by Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, who is currently shooting Spectre, due out in November.

In a translation of the quotes printed in French in Paris Match, Moore told the magazine: "Though James has been played by a Scot, a Welshman, an Irishman, I think he should be English-English. It's nonetheless an interesting idea, but unrealistic.