One of the best known popular actors of the modern generation, Leonard Nimoy, Mr Spock in Star Trek, has died at the age of 83.

Nimoy's son Adam said the actor died this morning in Los Angeles of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The actor had been suffering from the disease despite giving up smoking over 30 years ago.

He had been in and out of hospital over the last few months and was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 19 after suffering severe chest pains.

Known to millions as Star Trek's science office Mr Spock, Nimoy, who was born in Massachusetts in 1931, began his acting career with a role in the film Kid Monk Baroni in 1952.

He played the half-human half Vulcan character in the original Star Trek TV series, which aired from 1966 to 1969, before taking the role to the big screen in the Star Trek films. He also made cameo appearances in JJ Abram's new Star Trek movies.

The actor left a poignant last message for fans on his Twitter account last Sunday, including a reference to his famous sign-off, "Live Long And Prosper".

The tweet said: "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP."

The actor was catapulted to fame by the series, and became a household name for Star Trek fans across the world.

But his ambivalence towards the role was clear - his two autobiographies were titled I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995).

In 1954 Nimoy married Sandra Zober, a fellow student at the Pasadena Playhouse, with whom he had two children, Julie and Adam.

But the couple divorced, and in 1988 he married Susan Bay, a film production executive.

Tributes have been paid to the actor on Twitter.

Nasa tweeted: "RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go."

Author Neil Gaiman tweeted: "I just saw that Leonard Nimoy has passed on. We didn't know each other well, but I'm glad I spent the time with him I did. A wonderful man."