The widow of a respected political journalist has opened up about her battle with grief since his death.

Belfast Telegraph political editor Liam Clarke passed away following a battle with abdominal cancer in December 2015.

Prior to taking on his role with the Bel Tel in 2011, Liam had spent 20 years as Northern Ireland editor with the Sunday Times.

Now his wife Kathryn Johnston has spoken out on the grief she has felt since his death after recently returning scattering some his ashes in Marrakesh.

Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston

Mrs Johnston told BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme: “This thing is that you don’t automatically move on after a set period of grieving, me and all my family love the very bones of Liam,” she told the BBC.

“That love is still there and will never go. There’s a Portuguese-Brazilian expression ‘Saudade’ which is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves, and that’s just the way I feel.

“To me Liam is still with us, still with the family, we just can’t see him anymore.

“I sometimes wonder ‘what is this grieving process?’ that everyone talks about, because I wish I could learn about it and go through it, but I think it’s just one of those things.”

During his illness, Liam, who was in his early sixties, refused treatment which could have extended his life in order to be able to go on working as a journalist with the Bel Tel.

Mrs Johnston said: “There was no changing his mind, nor did I think any of us had any right too. I went to all his appointments with him and his oncologist told him he had only a 15pc chance of chemotherapy helping and there would be dreadful side effects which would stop him working and diminish his quality of life.”

On how hard it was knowing what Liam had missed out on since his death, she added: “He would never have believed Donald Trump, he never would have believed Martin McGuinness would have brought down the [Northern Ireland] Executive.

“I sometimes think it would be great if you could have just one phone call with someone you love that you’ve lost so that you could say ‘guess what’s happened?'”

“Your oldest son is getting married, your middle son has bought a house and your daughter has just got her first legal job in Belfast after getting her LLB.

“I really would love him to know those three things and somehow, sometimes, I think probably, or possibly, he still does.”