Pierce Brosnan pleads guilty to hiking off trail in Yellowstone thermal area

Ex-James Bond star Pierce Brosnan has pleaded guilty to hiking too close to sensitive geothermal pools in a closed part of Yellowstone National Park.

It comes two months after he initially pleaded not guilty to trespassing in hot springs, where acid rising from the ground can reach boiling temperatures.

A judge in Wyoming accepted his plea and ordered him to pay a fine of over $1,500 (£1,175) for the offence.

The payment will go to a non-profit tasked with preserving the park.

On Thursday, Brosnan admitted to violating federal regulations that ban foot traffic near the Mammoth Terraces hot springs.

A second charge accusing him of disregarding closure signs in the area was dropped as part of the deal.

Both crimes are classified as "petty offence/misdemeanours".

Mammoth Terraces is one of the park's hundreds of thermal features, which vary from spouting geysers to gurgling mud pots, and water soaring up to 175F (79.4C).

Federal rules require national park visitors to stay on designated walkways around Mammoth Terraces, and violations are punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 (£3,946).

Millions of people visit Yellowstone each year. At least 22 have died from burns sustained from the park's springs and geysers.

A photo of Brosnan in the famed park was posted on an Instagram account mocking Yellowstone's "tourons" (tourist morons).

It appeared to show Brosnan in sunglasses and a brim hat posing by the snow-encrusted springs.

At the the time of the offence, Brosnan had been living in the area while filming a new movie.

In addition to his four James Bond films, Brosnan also starred in the 1980s TV series Remington Steele and is known for major roles in the films Mrs Doubtfire and The Thomas Crown Affair.