TRIBUTES were being paid yesterday to one of Northallerton's best-known and best-loved personalities.

The town's historian, Michael Riordan, who was known to most people as Mick, died at his home after a long illness. He was 69.

The town's mayor, his close friend Councillor Jack Dobson, said yesterday: "Mick was a lovely man and one of the greatest friends Northallerton had.

"He will be missed by everyone who knew him."

Mr Riordan's death comes only a month after he was installed as an honorary citizen of the town - the seventh person to be given the honour.

The town council decided to confer the honour in recognition of his enormous contribution to the town over the years.

Last year he completed a book detailing the town's history through the ages. The project took him two decades to complete and was acclaimed as a definitive work.

It quickly became a local best-seller and such is its popularity that it is about to be reprinted. It was the most ambitious of his seven books about the area.

From an Irish background, Mr Riordan arrived in Northallerton at the age of six and attended Applegarth Primary School and Northallerton Grammar School before reading history at Sheffield University.

In the RAF he rose to the rank of squadron leader and when he was stationed at Leeming he renewed his love affair with Northallerton, settling in the town.

Before he retired he was the head of Teesside Careers Service and in 1998 he was named as Northallerton's official historian. Coun Dobson said Mr Riordan had immersed himself in the history of the town, compiling notes, keeping records, writing books, giving talks and travelling extensively for source material.

He described him as the point of reference for the town's history. He said: "We were fortunate in that we were able to install him as an honorary citizen just weeks ago. It was truly deserved."

Mr Riordan leaves a widow and two sons.