Tributes paid to 'one of a kind' journalist Brian Hutton

Brian Hutton, who was from Londonderry, died on Saturday

Tributes have been paid to "one of a kind" journalist Brian Hutton who has died at the age of 46.

Mr Hutton, who was from Londonderry, died on Saturday after becoming unwell.

He had worked for the Belfast Telegraph and the Press Association (PA) and had written for the Irish Times.

Irish President Michael D Higgins described Mr Hutton as a "fine journalist" and someone "with a reputation for reliability".

The former Ireland editor of PA, Deric Henderson, offered his condolences to Mr Hutton's family and described him as a top journalist and a fantastic human being.

'Derry man through and through'

"I, like most people who knew him, am still struggling to come to terms with his passing," Mr Henderson said.

"He arrived from Belfast to work with me in Dublin... he always found himself working against the clock at PA and he adapted very quickly.

"He had a great news sense, he had a good nose for a story, he was good with words and had great people skills - which is critical in our world.

"Journalists are only good as the people they know and he had a very extensive list of contacts all over Ireland," Mr Henderson said.

"He was a Derry man through and through, even though he spent most of his career away from the north-west, he was fiercely proud of his home city."

Mr Henderson described Mr Hutton as one of "nature's gentleman" who was a pleasure to be around both in the newsroom and outside of it.

'He is irreplaceable'

Freya McClements, northern editor of the Irish Times, told BBC Radio Foyle that Mr Hutton was a key part of the newspaper's newsroom and of the fabric of journalism in Ireland.

"When we look at just some of the many tributes that have been paid to Brian since his death it is just a real testament to the man he was," Ms McClements said.

"He was a great journalist, one of the best, who could turn his hand to absolutely anything and any situation, but he was also just a great person, so warm, so funny, so friendly and so kind.

"It's no wonder people trusted him with their stories because he really was just one of a kind - he is irreplaceable."