A former Watford Observer columnist and national journalist has died at the age of 79.

Roy Stockdill, who spent 30 years at the News of the World, passed away at his home in Poole, Dorset, on October 18.

Yorkshireman Mr Stockdill lived in Watford from 1965 and stayed for 50 years.

He first moved to the town after being appointed chief reporter at the now defunct West Herts Post where he spent a year in the role, before moving onto the Sunday Citizen.

The journalist then got his big break in Fleet Street, turning up at the News of the World as a "bouncing, enthusiastic" reporter.

His former editor at the sunday paper, Patsy Chapman, remembers Mr Stockdill fondly.

In a tribute, Ms Chapman said: "Well Cheerio Roy, you argumentative, curmudgeonly, honest, funny, walking encyclopaedia. You were a great colleague on The News of the World, where you were an old part of the furniture before I arrived.

"You were a stickler for accuracy and grammar, as you would be as someone who had covered court cases in shorthand since you were a lad in Yorkshire.

"Then you took your skills to Fleet Street, where you were described as a bouncing, enthusiastic young reporter.

"You eventually became the eagle with the eye for books that the News of the World could serialise, knowing exactly what the readers wanted, thus pushing up the circulation of the biggest selling paper in the world.

"You were funny, knew everything about history, jazz, politics (in which we mostly disagreed, but then who wouldn’t?) football, athletics, and with a deep knowledge of world affairs and scandals going back many years. Well, you were getting a bit ancient, but you remembered what the rest of us forgot.

"Your Facebook pals enjoyed your posts every day about such a variety of subjects, written brilliantly and with your customary wit.

"So, goodbye, my old colleague. Love to your Stephanie, with whom you spent your whole life."

After 30 years at the News of the World, Mr Stockdill retired, becoming a book reviewer for the Today newspaper.

In the early 2000s, Mr Stockdill joined the Observer as a weekly columnist.

After his newspaper career, Mr Stockdill turned his hobby of genealogy into a second career and he carried out many investigations into the backgrounds of celebrities, as well as helping readers research their family trees.

Mr Stockdill leaves his wife, Stephanie, and two sons, Richard and Jeremy.