A Bahamian journalist who worked in the UK regional press while also plying his trade as a professional cricketer has died aged 68.

Tributes have been paid to Ivan Johnson, who mixed journalism with first-class cricket while playing for Worcestershire between 1972 and 1975.

Ivan, pictured, worked on the now-defunct Evening Post-Echo at Hemel Hempstead during his time in the United Kingdom.

He eventually returned to his homeland to launch The Punch, a twice-weekly tabloid that “changed the face of Bahamian journalism”.

John Marquis, who edited the Bahamas’ leading daily, The Tribune, for 10 years, said: “Ivan was an incisive writer and great editor who saw journalism in Nassau as an ongoing crusade against the bad guys.

“He was ruthless and relentless in his fight against corrupt politicians and dodgy lawyers. Like all great editors, he was loved by his followers and loathed by those with something to hide.

“The Punch was a really explosive squib of a paper, and I rated Ivan among the twenty finest journalists I worked with during a fifty-year career.

“I was still in regular touch with him, and I’ll miss his friendship very much.”

Ivan, the son of a Bahamian war hero, was educated at Malvern College, in Worcestershire and undertook his journalism training at Harlow College.

As a cricketer, he was an all-rounder who played 33 First-class and 38 List A matches for Worcestershire and remains the only Bahamian to have played at that level.

As a journalist, he worked as a trainee with Thomsons and Reuters before doing subbing stints on The Sun and the Daily Star.

After his spell in Hemel Hempstead, he also spent a year as a Reuters cadet before freelancing on the London tabloids.

Three years ago, he was honoured by The Bahamas Press Club for his services to Bahamian journalism. He died last Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest.