Colleagues say they are “stunned and saddened” after a regional daily photographer died suddenly aged 62.

Steve Wheeler, who worked for the Oxford Mail, passed away yesterday morning – having covered his last set of sporting fixtures for the newspaper over the weekend.

Steve, left, had worked for the Mail for more than 30 years and was best known for his sporting photographs.

In an obituary, the paper described him as a “driving force” behind the coverage of grass roots sport in Oxfordshire, and said the county’s sporting community had been left “shocked” by his death.

Mail sports editor Mark Edwards said: “Our sports pages in the Oxford Mail have been full of Steve’s pictures for decades.

“Every weekend without fail he would ensure he was available to go to whatever jobs we asked him to – often having to rearrange family commitments because he did not want to let us down.

“Even this weekend he was out producing a great set of images which adorn our pages.

“We are all stunned and saddened at the news, and send our deepest condolences to his family.”

Steve passed away at his home in the village of Eynsham, and funeral arrangements are yet to be organised.