TRIBUTES have been paid to popular Bolton comic and poet Hovis Presley who has died in hospital after a short illness - aged just 44.

Critically acclaimed Hovis, known as "the bard of Skagen Court", was being treated for a chest infection at the Royal Bolton Hospital when he died on Thursday afternoon.

Hovis, real name Richard McFarlane, was a champion of live poetry and comedy and regularly appeared on stage in Bolton and throughout the North-west.

He also ran a successful comedy night at the Balmoral Hotel, Bradshawgate, Bolton, the Star and Garter in Manchester and appeared at the Buzz Club in Wythenshawe.

Hovis was a regular contributor on radio and appeared dozens of times as a guest of Mark Radcliffe and John Shuttleworth on BBC Radio One and Two. Peter Kay was also a big fan. He also appeared on the small screen, where he starred on numerous TV shows presented by Richard Whiteley and Anthony H Wilson.

Hovis once walked out of his sell-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe show in 1997 and was tipped to win a coveted Perrier award for his sell-out show Wherever I Lay My Hat...Thats My Hat.

He wrote a hugely successful book, Poetic Off Licence. Radio Two DJ Mark Radcliffe read out a poem by Hovis called I Rely On You live on his Radio Two show on Thursday night.

He said: "Hovis was a popular, warm, bear of a man. I really liked him as a person, he was wonderful company. When he featured on the radio he always wanted to record his bit because nerves got the better of him when he was live on air.

"He overcame a lot of personal trauma which I always admired. His way with words was brilliant. He was a great clown and expressed that with words."

Close friend Natasha Wiseman said the death of Hovis had come as a "massive shock".

She said: "Hovis was superb on stage, he loved performing live, he was very funny and the audiences loved him. He was ill for some weeks but continued to perform right up until he went in hospital.

"He was a real friend, a real people's person. He had a vast family of friends because of the way he was with people."