THE DEATH of Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary, last weekend robbed the world of a great politician and a keen dog lover.

The MP for Livingston collapsed from a heart attack on Saturday afternoon whilst walking on Ben Stack and was airlifted by RAF helicopter to Raigmore hospital in Inverness, where he was pronounced dead at 4.05pm.

Mr Cook, 59 resigned from the Labour Government in 2003 over the decision to go to war in Iraq and was hailed than, as now, by politicians from all parties as a man of principle.

The only son of a headmaster from a Lanarkshire mining family, he was a keen hillwalker and spent his summer holidays with close family and friends enjoying the Highlands.

Mr Cook was a keen dog lover and was very interested and well informed on matters concerning canine legislation. He visited Crufts whenever he could. He attended the show in March 2003 soon after resigning from the Government, but was, as usual, quite unassuming and expected no special treatment as he looked around the show, accompanied by his second wife Gaynor.

OUR DOGS expresses its sympathy to Mrs Cook and to Mr Cook’s family at his passing.