Thousands of Evel Knievel fans across Britain have been expressing their sadness at the death of the World’s greatest stuntman.

The legendary US daredevil suffered ill health in recent years including diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis. He underwent a liver transplant after nearly dying of hepatitis C in 1999.

Throughout his career Knievel delighted thrill seekers with sensational jumps on his motorbikes though not always with a successful outcome.

In 1968 he attempted to jump over the fountains at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas. While he cleared the fountains the thousands of onlookers were shocked when they saw him come off this bike on landing.

The crash put him in a come for 29 days, but brought him a large amount of publicity across the globe.

Knievel became the most iconic motorbike stuntman of all time with bold and daring jumps in the 1970 and 80s.

These included his 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

In May 1975 in front of 90,000 people at the old Wembley Stadium Knievel crashed while trying to land a jump over thirteen redundant single-deck AEC Merlin buses. After the crash, despite breaking his pelvis, Knievel addressed the audience and announced his retirement. After recuperating, Knievel decided that he had spoken too soon, and that he would continue jumping.

Recent years had been difficult on the American though and he was forced to declare bankruptcy after failing the pay taxes on the proceeds earned from many of his lucrative jumps.

In April of this year Knievel announced to a worldwide audience that he "believed in Jesus Christ" for the first time. He professed his personal faith in Christ to more than 4,000 people who gathered inside the Crystal Cathedral for Palm Sunday services in Orange County, California, and to millions via an Hour of Power telecast of the service to over 100 countries

Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel.

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