Comedy world mourns poet and stand-up.

The North-West comedy scene is mourning the death of poet and stand-up Hovis Presley at the age of just 44 yesterday.

Though he never achieved nationwide fame, he was something of a local legend with a formidable reputation for live performance.

Dubbed "the Bard Of Bolton", he inspired many people to go into comedy, not least through the stand-up lessons he used to give drama students. He also ran what was billed as an "alternative to alternative comedy clubs" at the Balmoral Hotel in Bolton.

The eccentric performer - whose fusion of poetry and comedy found him in occupying similar territory to John Hegley or John Cooper Clarke - also made appearances on John Shuttleworth and Mark Radcliffe radio shows and the recent BBC THREE poetry show Whine Gums.

Presley slipped into a coma following a heart attack at the end of April, from which he never emerged.

He'll be much missed in the Manchester scene, and beyond.