Tributes have been paid to John Cripps, whose life-saving work for Oxfam earned him an MBE, writes Alison Bartlett.

Mr Cripps, who died aged 67 after a 13-year fight against cancer, joined Oxfam and was responsible for ensuring that emergency equipment was swiftly dispatched all over the world.

Warehouse manager for Oxfam, Dee Hogg, said: "I worked with John for 12 years. He was a man of action, never happier than when he had a huge task to undertake. He was a loyal friend and would help anyone in trouble.

"He liked and cared about people and that, together with his sometimes wicked sense of humour, shaped his personal and working life."