A village correspondent who wrote for a weekly newspaper for almost 60 years has died aged 84.

Tributes have been paid to Russ Green, who served The Forester newspaper and also edited local magazine the May Hill Reporter for 47 years.

Russ reported the news from the village of May Hill and the surrounding area for The Forester, which is based in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, and its predecessor the Dean Forest Mercury.

The Forester staff who worked with him remember Russ as being “unfailingly polite and modest and scrupulously punctual at getting his copy in before deadline”.

Former editor Viv Hargreaves said: “Russ Green was a remarkable village correspondent who may well have broken a record with more than half-a-century of contributions to the newspaper.

“Russ was the eyes and ears of the communities he covered near his May Hill home.

“Newspapers rely on these wonderful correspondents – who often come up with great stories amongst the parish pump.

“The blue Morph character who roamed May Hill causing much hilarity and a little concern was one such story which Russ tipped us off about. We all have fond memories of Russ.”

In 2005 Russ, known as ‘Mr May Hill’, successfully took the Ordnance Survey to task over village being omitted from their maps.

The discrepancy came to light when singer and television personality Isla St Clair became hopelessly lost while trying to get to May Hill Village Hall to take part in a concert.

When she finally arrived, two hours late, she explained her difficulties to Russ who promptly wrote to the map makers.

A few months later an Ordnance Survey inspector turned up on Russ’s doorstep to set the cartological record straight.

He met the Queen twice, once at a Buckingham Palace garden party 1995, and again as a recipient of Maundy Money at Gloucester Cathedral in 2003.