TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Daily Echo journalist who was renowned for his dry sense of humour and unflappable nature.

Colin Jenkins joined the Echo newsroom in 1987 and held various positions over the next three decades, including deputy sports editor, chief sub editor and assistant editor.

Colin, 57, of Hythe, died suddenly earlier this week after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Paul Collins, the Daily Echo's former picture editor, said: "You couldn't find a harder working, more unflappable character, but he paired that with a dry humour and smiling Irish eyes.

"Colin was a great leader of his department in often trying times for the industry and would always be considerate to his people and those around him often putting their needs ahead of his own.

"Through all of his dedication to work I admired Colin's ability to live the life he wanted.

"He told us of the many great experiences he had enjoyed, both himself - often on golf courses around the world - and with his partner Sharon.

"It's a tragedy his great life was cut so short."

Daily Echo:

Colin began his working life as a compositor and later retrained as a journalist. He worked as a reporter and a sub-editor before working his way up the ranks, becoming deputy sports editor, chief sub-editor and regional production editor and assistant editor.

Former Daily Echo journalist Clive Downton said: "Colin and I sat in my back garden a few weeks ago and spent a couple of hours looking back.

"We started on the production side at the Echo and later became journalists. Colin was a good journalist, calm in a crisis, very thoughtful and always great fun when out socialising."

After leaving the Echo Colin moved to Portsmouth's daily paper, The News.