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Tributes have been paid to the British stuntman who parachuted into the Olympic opening ceremony dressed as James Bond after he was killed in a wingsuit accident.

Former army officer Mark Sutton, 42, was wing-diving from a helicopter in the Swiss Alps yesterday when he crashed into a mountain ridge.

Last summer, he was Daniel Craig's double in the memorable London 2012 stunt, which saw 007 and the Queen skydive into the Olympic Stadium with Union-Jack emblazoned parachutes.

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Friend and fellow stuntman Gary Connery, who dressed as Her Majesty for the jump, led the tributes to the tragic thrillseeker.

He wrote: "All you jumpers/flyers out there, stay safe, make wise choices and know your limits and your locations. Live to tell your stories. One love."

(Image: Gary Connery Archive)

Claire Petzal tweeted: "Mark Sutton. You were the coolest man to date. Keep jumping from the clouds."

Twitter user Mar Dixon said: "How sad! One of the highlights of the Opening Ceremony (& so young!)"

Jen C wrote: "RIP Mark Sutton. Thanks for your role in the most memorable aspect of @London2012 Opening Ceremony."

Julie M-Downton added: "R.I.P Mark Sutton who died doing what he loved best. You were a massive part of a brilliant year for the UK."

LBC Radio host Anthony Davis tweeted: "Sad news about the death of Mark Sutton, Daniel Craig's Olympic parachute stunt double. A reminder of how dangerous the job is... #Brave"

Wingsuits are special jump suits which increase the surface area of the body and act like a parachute wing, allowing users to glide through the air at high speeds.

Tragic Mark shared a video from his last wingsuit jump on August 11, filmed in Chamonix in the Alps.

Police in the Swiss Valais canton confirmed that a 42-year-old British man had died after jumping with a friend from a helicopter while wearing a wingsuit above the Grandes-Otannes area, close to the French border.

In a statement they said the pair jumped from a height of 10,826ft (3,300m) at around 11am yesterday and had planned to land close to the hamlet of Le Peuty, near Trient.

But a preliminary investigation suggests that Mr Sutton, who served in the Gurkha Rifles, hit a ridge.

He is yet to be formally identified.

"The victim, a Briton, was 42 years old. He was staying in Chamonix (in France) with 20 followers, considered among the best in the world in this discipline," the statement said.

It added that they were in the region as guests of a company that makes extreme sport films for the internet.