Pussy Galore is one of the most popular Bond girls. The character, played by Honor Blackman in the 1964 film version of Goldfinger, is remembered for her Amazonian attitude and the lesbian tendencies that left Bond enthralled.

But according to a newly discovered letter Ian Fleming wrote to a fan, the James Bond author believed that Pussy Galore’s lesbianism was a “psychological malady”. The only cure, claimed Fleming, is "the right man" - and he goes by the name of Bond.

The letter was written in response to a missive sent by a concerned and curious fan. After Dr G Gibson read Fleming's 1959 novel Goldfinger, he struggled to diagnose Pussy's lesbian tendencies and contacted the author for assistance.

In the response that highlights how dated the author's attitudes are, Fleming wrote that “Pussy only needed the right man to perform the laying on of hands to cure her psychopathological malady”.

Ian Fleming - the Bond author advised the "laying on of hands" of the right man to cure what he saw to be a "psycho-pathological malady" Credit: Express Newspapers

In the book, Pussy Galore is the leader of a gang of trapeze artists, working for villain Goldfinger. As part of the plot which demonstrates Fleming's ability to muster nuanced, psychological depth, she changes her mind about the lesbian lusting after she is chatted up by Bond, who relishes "the sexual challenge all beautiful lesbians have for men".

Dr Gibson had previously written to Fleming after reading From Russia with Love, to ask if 007 survives after being poisoned at the end of the novel. The Leicesteshire-dwelling fan received a promising response from Fleming, who told him that a note had been posted at the Secret Service HQ canteen announcing Bond's recovery. Six months later, Dr No was published.

The letters are being put up for auction by Dr Gibson's family. In the wake of Spectre's remarkable box office success, they are expected to fetch upwards of £4,000 each at Bonhams.