Image caption Seamus Close was deputy leader of the Alliance Party for 10 years and was a regular BBC commentator

Tributes have been paid to Alliance's former deputy leader, Seamus Close, who has died after a short illness.

The 71-year-old had been suffering from liver cancer. Mr Close served as a Lagan Valley MLA from 1998 until 2007.

He held several positions in Alliance, including chair between 1981 and 1982 and deputy leader from 1991 until 2001.

He was often a key member of Alliance delegations in talks processes. Party leader Naomi Long said politics had lost an "advocate for ordinary people".

'Sudden illness'

Mrs Long said it was a "very, very difficult time" for the Close family.

"It was very sudden. He had been losing weight and felt particularly tired.

"It seems it was quite advanced and very little could be done," she told the BBC's Stephen Nolan programme.

"When he was in a room there was such an energy around him. He's such a big loss."

Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Seamus Close was mayor of Lisburn in 1993

In 2006, Mr Close announced his retirement from politics, after 33 years and 20 elections.

At the time, he cited being mayor of Lisburn in 1993 as one of the highlights of his political career.

After his retirement, he turned his attention to political commentary and became a regular contributor to BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme.

'Independent-minded'

The weekly show is presented by BBC Northern Ireland's political editor, Mark Devenport, who was among those who paid warm tributes to Mr Close.

"There was a reason why we went for Seamus after he retired from active politics and that was because, whilst he was was Alliance through and through, he was also an extremely independent-minded individual," the presenter said.

"Seamus never took any prisoners. He wasn't the sort of person who would hold back in any degree.

"He was forthright in his views and I can remember more than one occasion in which it was his own party colleagues who were ringing me up and complaining to me about what Seamus had been saying on the airwaves about whatever decision they had made."

Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Seamus Close with Lord Alderdice in 1987

Mark Devenport told the BBC's Talkback programme that up until about five weeks ago, the commentator appeared fit and well and was making plans with his wife for their retirement.

However, he was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer which did not respond to treatment.

The final conversation

The presenter last spoke to Mr Close on Monday, the day before his death was announced.

"The Seamus that I talked to yesterday afternoon was the old Seamus - physically extremely weakened but mentally extremely alert and articulate and reflecting, as no doubt you do in these situations, on a long life well lived," said Mr Devenport.

"He said that he was content, that he was focussed, that he had no regrets. He reflected on the tragedy of that young journalist Lyra McKee.

"He said: 'Unlike poor Lyra, who wasn't able to say to those that she loved what she thought of them, I have had at least the last few weeks to do that with my family. Family, when it comes down to it, is more important that anything.'"

The presenter added: "I felt privileged to have known him and privileged to have had that conversation."