TRIBUTES have been paid for a former Daily Echo employee and well-known cricketer who has died aged 89.

Grandfather-of-six Richard Hull, who was known as Dick, began his career at the newspaper in 1940.

During the Second World War his bicycle was famously left in a twisted mess when a bomb fell on the Daily Echo’s former headquarters in Above Bar Street.

Dick then joined the Royal Air Force and trained as a radio operator in Liverpool before being sent to India and Burma to join the 267 Squadron.

He was on board one of the last Dakotas out of Burma when engine failure caused it to crash land. He and the crew were looked after by locals and taken to safety.

Dick returned to the Daily Echo’s advertising department after being demobbed and enjoyed spending his free time playing cricket and golf.

He played for the Daily Echo’s cricket club, as well as Southampton Wednesdays, Deanery, and Hursley Park, and turned out for local bowls clubs. His other passion was cars and he and Daily Echo colleague Graham Bryer travelled around Europe by road after the Second World War.

Dick married Gillian Cresswell in 1968, and the couple had two children – Christopher and Deborah – six grandchildren and one step-great grandchild.

He retired from the Daily Echo in 1983 and lived in the Hill Head area.

Paying tribute, his son Chris said: “There is a picture of him and Harry Secombe in his office at the Echo chatting, and another with the rest of the Goons at the Gaumont Theatre.

“He was already friends with Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan as they came back together on the same troop ship at the end of the war.

“As a boy visiting Dad at the Echo was an exciting day. Every business owner would know him and want to chat. If we popped into a car dealership we could be there all afternoon. I loved it.”

His funeral was due to take place at St Michael and All Angels Church, Lyndhurst, at 11am today.