WATCH: Tributes to legendary Peterborough Evening Telegraph chief photographer Rowland 'Rowly' Hobson

Tributes have been paid to legendary Peterborough Evening Telegraph photographer Rowland Hobson.

Rowly, as he was known to all in the newsroom – and plenty across the city – worked at the ET from 1980 until his retirement in 2014, taking pictures of some of the most famous people in the world, including Princess Diana and Mike Tyson – as well as some of the more everyday stories in Peterborough.

Sadly, he passed away aged 76 last month, following a battle with cancer.

A memorial service is being held for Rowly today.

One of Rowly’s sons, James, led the tributes to his dad.

He said: “He absolutely loved capturing the news in pictures.

"He used to take me into the newsroom when I was young, when everyone was smoking, and the typewriters were going. He loved his job.

"Since his retirement, he has spent a lot of time caring for my mum, Deidre, and also with his granddaughter, Grace – he sometimes treated his visits to see her as his job, taking so many pictures of her – there are his photos of her all over the house.”

Amazing picture of robbery saw him gain global recognition

One of his most famous pictures was captured in Peterborough city centre, when he was in the right place at the right time to get photos of a ‘have a go hero’ trying to tackle a gunman who had just robbed a jewellery store in Long Causeway.

The image won a number of awards.

Mark Edwards – editor at the time – said: “The picture he took that earned him global recognition was another example of his formidable determination.

“He was taking a picture of an event in Cathedral Square when suddenly a thief - brandishing a pistol - fled after raiding a jewellers nearby. A passerby tackled the gunman and Rowland - when he should have been moving to safety - ran towards the incident and captured an incredible image of the struggle. “The picture was used by news outlets across the country and across the world.

“He won several awards for that picture but to him he was just 'doing his job'.”

"He was a huge asset to the paper and the city and a genuinely great person to work with.”

Mark added: “Rowland was a big character, an outstanding photographer and was incredibly passionate about the Peterborough Telegraph and the city.

"I liked to get into work early, but he was always there before me, ready for a coffee and a chat when he would be full of ideas and suggestions for the day ahead.

“He loved a challenge and never lost his great enthusiasm for every assignment.

“He was hugely popular and known across Peterborough, but perhaps his greatest asset was his determination never to come back without a great picture.

“Whether that meant yomping across fields to reach the scene of a major incident or patiently waiting for youngsters to finish rehearsals before their annual nativity picture, his professionalism never dropped.

"He was a huge asset to the paper and the city and a genuinely great person to work with.”

“He was the consummate professional”

Current Peterborough Telegraph photographer David Lowndes, who worked with Rowly throughout his time at the paper, added his tributes.

He said: “I was privileged to worth with Rowland for 35 years.

"Rowland was the consummate professional, with quite exacting standards – but we did manage to have a laugh every now and again.

"There was no cutting corners, or ‘I’ll leave it till tomorrow’ – everything was done there and then, and it was done correctly, then you’d move on to the next job,

“Looking back at his pictures – one day he managed to capture Mike Tyson shopping – he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time

“When Posh were playing Liverpool in the cup, all the photographers were at one end at the Liverpool attack end waiting for the goal. Rowland sat on his own at the other end, along came one of the strikers and we beat Liverpool – once again, the right place at the right time.”

No funeral arrangements have been made.