Lord Owen: Vaclav Havel was immensely brave

Vaclav Havel, the Czech Republic's first president after communist rule was "immensely brave and important", the former foreign secretary Lord Owen has said.

The former dissident playwright, who suffered from prolonged ill-health, died on Sunday morning at the age of 75.

As president, he presided over Czechoslovakia's transition to democracy and a free-market economy.