Bishop Maurice Taylor: Britain's oldest Catholic bishop dies aged 97

Bishop Maurice Taylor retired in 2004, more than 50 years after he was ordained a priest

The oldest living Catholic bishop in Britain has died aged 97.

Former Bishop of Galloway Maurice Taylor, who grew up in Lanarkshire, was ordained a priest in 1950.

He was ordained Bishop of Galloway by Cardinal Gordon Gray in 1981 and retired in May 2004.

The Catholic Church in Scotland said Bishop Taylor - who "had an energy that few could keep up with" - died at a nursing home in Kilmarnock on Wednesday.

Another former Bishop of Galloway, and the current Archbishop of Glasgow, Archbishop William Nolan, led tributes to Bishop Taylor.

He said: "As a bishop he had an energy that few could keep up with and as a retired bishop he was very active in the diocese until recent years supplying for clergy.

"He managed to find time to write four books, which displayed his sharp mind and keen sense of humour. May his soul rest in peace.".