Tributes have been paid to a tube driver who had a “tenacious spirit”.

Malcolm Henry Clive Mackenzie Hoole, of Milespit Hill, Mill Hill, died in a south London nursing home at the age of 75.

After spending most of his life as a tube driver across the London network, he was diagnosed with cancer - but was discharged from hospice care twice before his death.

His friend, Jeff Halifax, said: “Malcolm was a one-off, a real battler.

“Emerging from the hospice and returning to live at his own home was done against all the odds and was a true testament to the man's tenacious spirit."

The bachelor was a regular at the Tally Ho! Pub, in North Finchley, and combined his fondness for naturally brewed ale with his passion for steam trains.

He regularly organised social events for those who shared his hobby, including an annual pilgrimage to Kent for the Faversham hop-picking festival.

Mr Holle was also a member of the Friends of the RAF Museum, where he helped organise visits, as well as the Mill Hill Preservation Society.

His funeral will be held at Hendon Crematorium Service on December 19 will be followed by a reception at the Hendon Hall Hotel.