IT is sad to report that former St Helens Star rugby league writer, Saints historian and St Helens institution Denis Whittle has died, aged 85.

After suffering a decline in health over the past year, Denis passed away on Friday.

Born in Clyde Street in the town centre, on 30 April 1933, Denis very quickly became a Saints die-hard at Knowsley Road.

Denis undertook his National Service in the Royal Engineers and served in Cyprus and Egypt.

His love of the oval-ball game dovetailed with his working life, starting as a newspaper compositor at 16 and he was involved with the compilation and publishing of the first edition of the Rugby Leaguer.

He spent 30 years with the St Helens Reporter, before joining the St Helens Star as a reporter in 1989 until July 2001, where as Saints’ correspondent he dealt with Mike McLennan, Eric Hughes, Shaun McRae, Ellery Hanley and Ian Millward.

From a famed rugby room containing old programmes, notebooks and photographs spanning the decades, Denis continued to write after leaving the Star, working with Alex Service on Saints' 50 Greatest Matches and Marching On - and helping Saints legend Duggie Greenall tell his story in 2006.

Away from rugby league, Denis was a keen cyclist and table tennis player, with an interest in railways and Gilbert and Sullivan.

His beloved wife Margaret, who he met at Saints, passed away in 2003, aged 67.

A popular and well-liked local character, Denis had a way of finding out what was going on.

He was also the master at writing obituaries of the former players who had graced Knowsley Road.

A full tribute will follow in the days to come.