World's oldest man Bob Weighton dies, aged 112

Bob Weighton, from Alton, Hampshire, became the oldest man in February following the death of Chitetsu Watanabe of Japan, who was also 112.

In a statement to the Press Association, his family said Mr Weighton "died peacefully in his sleep, from cancer" on Thursday morning at the flat where he lived.

He was born in Hull, East Yorkshire, on 29 March 1908.

The statement said: "Bob was an extraordinary man, and to the family not really because of the amazing age he reached.

"A role model to us all, he lived his life interested in and engaged with all kinds of people from across the world.

"He viewed everyone as his brother or sister and believed in loving and accepting and caring for one another.

"He had many, many friendships and read and talked politics, theology, ecology and more right up until his death.

"He also cared greatly for the environment.

"The second bedroom in his flat was a workshop, filled with furniture, windmills and puzzles he made and sold in aid of charity, often from bits of wood pulled from skips.

"We are so grateful that until the very end Bob remained our witty, kind, knowledgeable, conversationalist father, grandfather and great grandfather, and we will miss him greatly."