TRIBUTES have been paid to a devoted countryman and gamekeeper.

John Emmerson, a former gamekeeper for Lord Barnard, in Upper Teesdale, County Durham, has died, aged 77, following a long illness.

Mr Emmerson, of Middleton-in-Teesdale, was a gamekeeper for Raby Estates for 47 years and received a long service medal for his work.

He was born in Harwood, in Upper Teesdale, and attended school there. After leaving school he farmed for a few years before he met his wife, Barbara. They married at Middleton-in-Teesdale in 1950.

He then took up gamekeeping and did not fully retire until he was 70 years old.

Mrs Emmerson described her husband as a modest, friendly man who was devoted to his work and used to enjoy chatting to farmers at the Langdon Beck Hotel.

She said: "He loved this area. It was quite isolated where we were, but he liked it.

"He loaded for lots of different people - Americans, French and Germans - and he met Prince Charles once when he came up here to shoot."

Lord Barnard, who shared a birthday with Mr Emmerson, said: "He was a really genuine man and it was such a pleasure to talk to him because he knew so much about the old mining days in Upper Teesdale and was well- informed about life in Teesdale many years ago.

"I am saddened by his death, and by all his sufferings in the past few years since his retirement."

Mr Emmerson leaves behind a son and daughter-in-law, Philip and Catriona, and two granddaughters, Hannah and Lucy.

His funeral takes place at Middleton Methodist Church on Friday, at 1pm, followed by cremation in Darlington at 2.15pm.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be given in church for the Richardson Hospital.