TRIBUTES have been paid to an award-winning BBC Radio Kent journalist who has died after a short illness.

Jonathan Witchell, 33, who was born and grew up in the county, died on Saturday.

He joined BBC Radio Kent nearly 10 years ago as a broadcast journalist.

Paul Leaper, the radio station's managing editor, said: "This has been one of the hardest weeks in Radio Kent’s history. Jonathan will be remembered as someone who loved Kent and loved radio.

"He had creative flair and scrupulous attention to detail. He was simply one of the station’s best all rounders.

"I know he will be sorely missed by all his colleagues and listeners to BBC Radio Kent. Our hearts do go out to his family at this difficult time."

Mr Witchell, from Sevenoaks, ignited his passion for broadcasting with Hospital Radio Bromley. He then began his career as a broadcast assistant at BBC Radio Devon, before moving to BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

In 1998, Mr Witchell moved to BBC Radio Kent where he worked as a roving reporter on the programme presented by broadcaster Barbara Sturgeon, a Kent Messenger Group columnist.

She said: "I, like everyone else, am deeply devastated at the untimely death of Jonathan, and my heart goes out to his loving family.

"When he joined BBC Radio Kent, he worked on my programme, and immediately showed the enthusiasm and good nature that was to see him develop into the first class, award-winning producer and presenter he later became."

Last year Mr Witchell spent a year working with journalists in Sri Lanka, leading to a role working for the BBC World Service.

Miss Sturgeon added: "During his time working in Sri Lanka, he sent back the most wonderful, illustrative emails about his experiences and would have made a first class travel writer.

"Jonathan was a truly decent young man, who packed more action into the latter years of his too short life, than most of us could hope to.

"Right from the start, I gave him the name Darling Rocky, which he happily adopted for the remainder of our friendship. This is such a sad loss. I shall never forget him."

Details of Jonathan’s funeral are yet to be confirmed. However if listeners wish to offer their condolences BBC Radio Kent will pass them on his family.

Write to BBC Radio Kent, The Great Hall, Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1QQ, or email radio.kent@bbc.co.uk

For many years Mr Witchell produced the Saturday Carry-On with Paul James and Paul Harris where his outside broadcast trips to France became an annual event.

Regular listeners will also remember his Sunday afternoon programme which involved him interviewing an array of local celebrities in the Music Room.

Behind the scenes, Mr Witchell was also responsible for some of the most memorable highlights of the station’s output.

His documentary about James Bond in Kent won him the accolade of Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year in 2004.

Earlier this year, he masterminded a unique collaboration between DJs Dave Cash and Johnnie Walker to mark the 40th anniversary of the abolition of Pirate Radio.