An editor who ran a regional daily for more than a decade has died aged 86.

Tributes have been paid to Dick Williamson, who edited the Aberdeen Evening Express from 1985 until his retirement in 1996.

Prior to that, he spent many years in a senior executive role at the Evening Express and has been described by former colleague Harry Roulston as “an EE man through and through”.

Dick, pictured, also served as chairman of the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society editors’ committee during his career.

Harry, who ran sister daily the Aberdeen Press & Journal, told the Evening Express: “Dick Williamson lived and breathed the Evening Express.  I was very impressed with him when we worked together.

“He was a man passionate about his job, Aberdeen and his church. He really was all about the Evening Express.”

Under Dick’s tenure the Evening Express gained a reputation for “life-saving campaigning”, including a drive to install more smoke detectors in Aberdeen.

He also oversaw the phasing out of hot metal production and the paper’s change from broadsheet to tabloid.

Away from journalism, Dick was an elder of St Machar’s Cathedral, in Aberdeen, which was the venue of the newspaper’s annual Christmas Carol concert and hosted his funeral on Monday.

Dick died suddenly at Torry Nursing Home, in Aberdeen, on 24 October. He is survived by his wife Lesley, children George and Julie, their spouses Claire and Peter, and grandchildren Kyle, Corey, Ava, Alethea and Hector.