Frank Statham, a former Ilkeston Advertiser photographer, has died.

Frank, who was 85, died in hospital after suffering a heart attack, brought on by renal failure, hypothermia and pneumonia.

After volunteering with the RAF during the Second World War and serving as part of the desert campaign at Tripoli from 1941 to 1943, Frank began taking photographs and joined the Advertiser in the mid 1950s.

During his career he took many wedding pictures and particularly enjoyed council work for the Advertiser.

Frank's son Michael said he listened to political chit-chat and harangued local councillors.

Before his retirement, Frank worked as a crane driver and in recent years took many trips abroad.

He enjoyed visiting places he had seen during the war and had been to Egypt, Cyprus and Malta, where he had gone to visit where he used to refuel the Hurricanes. It was there that he recently became ill.

Frank leaves two children, Michael and Wendy, grandsons Peter and Andrew, and sister Elsie.