TRIBUTES poured in today for Countdown presenter and Yorkshire icon Richard Whiteley, who has died aged 61.

Residents in the East Yorkshire village of Wetwang - where the popular quiz show host was honorary mayor - were stunned when news of his shock death broke last night.

The journalist was taken to hospital with pneumonia in May, and days before his death had undergone major heart surgery in Leeds General Infirmary.

Reports at the weekend said he was making a slow recovery after the operation.

Wetwang parish councillor Bill Buckle last night said he was "lost for words" when he heard about Mr Whiteley's death.

He said the Countdown host had done a lot of fundraising for Wetwang, particularly the village primary school.

Mr Buckle said: "That's how we started with the mayor of Wetwang. He said on television a few times that he would like to be the mayor.

"One of the parents rang him and up and said 'put your money where your mouth is' - and that's what he did in 2000."

Mr Buckle added: "Since then he's come to the village a few times. He comes to the pub and has a meal.

"This is very, very bad news. He will be sadly missed."

The parish councillor revealed how he had forwarded a get well card to the presenter's home in Ilkley, only on Saturday.

It was from a fan and was merely addressed to the village - highlighting the strong links Mr Whiteley had with the community near Driffield.

"The post office send them to me because I have his address," said Mr Buckle.

Primary school governor Paula Gundry said the TV host was a regular at the school's summer fairs.

"He has always been very good," added the 28-year-old, who works at The Victoria pub in the village.

"If anyone from the village sent letters to Countdown they were always mentioned."

She said pupils had recently written a get well card to their mayor, and she said: "We were very proud to have him as our mayor." York Races regular Mr Whiteley, who had the nickname Twice Nightly, hosted Countdown for 23 years. His on screen partnership with Carol Vorderman won the show a cult following.

Before he fronted the Channel 4 programme, he worked as a journalist for Yorkshire Television from the late 1960s.

Last year Mr Whiteley received an OBE from The Queen, who along with the late Queen Mother, was said to be a Countdown fan.

Whiteley leaves behind his partner of 11 years, the actress Kathryn Apanowicz.

Updated: 09:46 Monday, June 27, 2005