Pinner-born astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore has died at the age of 89.

Family members said he passed away peacefully at 12:25pm on Sunday afternoon at his home in Selsey, West Sussex.

He presented the BBC programme The Sky At Night for more than 50 years, making him the longest-running host of the same television show ever.

Harrow Borough Councillor James Bond, a former Harrow Times feature writer, interviewed the broadcaster in 1999.

He said: "His enthusiasm for his subject was truly infectious. Although he was only in Pinner at the very start of his life, he told me he held the area around Cannon Lane, where he was born in March 1923, with great affection."

A statement by Sir Patrick's friends and staff said: "After a short spell in hospital last week, it was determined that no further treatment would benefit him, and it was his wish to spend his last days in his own home, Farthings, where he today passed on, in the company of close friends and carers and his cat Ptolemy.

"Over the past few years, Patrick, an inspiration to generations of astronomers, fought his way back from many serious spells of illness and continued to work and write at a great rate, but this time his body was too weak to overcome the infection which set in a few weeks ago.

"He was able to perform on his world record-holding TV programme The Sky at Night right up until the most recent episode .

"His executors and close friends plan to fulfil his wishes for a quiet ceremony of interment, but a farewell event is planned for what would have been Patrick's 90th birthday in March 2013."