THOUSANDS of readers -- in East Lancashire and across the world -- will share our grief and join in the tributes following the sudden death of our deputy sports editor and chief sports writer Peter White.

For Peter was a professional journalist whose experience, insight, immense knowledge, honesty, frankness and fairness and always-sparkling style brought him not only a large and regular following of readers, but also rightly earned him the respect and regard of fans, players and officials at all levels of sport.

That he will be greatly missed is a testimony to his tremendous talent -- and to his being such a great sport himself.