AS the world goes crazy for the release of James Bond’s latest espionage thriller No Time To Die this Thursday, the Echo looks back at when Sean Connery came to Southampton to film one of the movie series' classics.

George Lazenby had already taken over as James Bond for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but Connery was called back into the field for Diamonds Are Forever in 1971.

It was the last James Bond movie he made with Eon Productions – the company behind 25 of Bond's 27 outings.

The Scottish actor appeared as Bond six times - and a notable seventh time in the film Never Say Never Again which was not made by the same studio.

In Diamonds Are Forever a diamond smuggling investigation leads Bond to Las Vegas, where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.

 

Diamonds are forever being filmed in Southampton Dock on August 6, 2006.

 

The finale of the movie was filmed in Southampton Docks with a murder attempt onboard the ship Canberra.

The date was July 15, 1971.

Featured in the pictures is the movie's director Guy Hamilton.

Daily Echo: