Former Foreign Secretary and Chiswick resident Robin Cook has died whilst on holiday in Scotland.

The MP for Livingston collapsed whilst walking near the summit of Ben Stack in the north-west Highlands. He was airlifted to hospital in Inverness but later died.

He served as Foreign Secretary between 1997 and 2001, and leader of the House of Commons until March 2003 before resigning in protest over government policy in the Middle East.

He has received tributes from across the political spectrum and was widely recognised as a politician of both integrity and high intellect. He has become a familiar face in the Chiswick are following his move to the area.

One resident contacted us to say, "I was very sorry to hear the news of Robin Cook's death. I had recently seen him several times in the local area. In these troubled times I always found it reassuring that a former Foreign Secretary could walk along our streets without any pomp or personal security."

August 7, 2005