David White, who started his career at the Reading Chronicle before going on to be a top photographer in the world of royalty and show business, has died after a short illness. He was 89 years old.

Born in 1930, he was an office boy and a reporter with the Chronicle, before joining the Reading News Agency on the princely sum of £3 per week.

After a brief period doing wedding and baby photography for local company Walton Adams, he soon realised the exciting world of press photography was where his future was meant to be.

In 1958, his photograph 'The Le Touquet Fishwife' was published in the Photography of The Yearbook, which gained him recognition at a young age among the world's photographers of that time.

It was also around this time that David started the Reading Judo Club, being a black belt himself.

David continued to cover all the major news stories within the Thames Valley throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s and became well known within the pop and celebrity world, with his close friends including the Tremeloes and the Bee Gees, along with Diana Dors, Diana Ross and Billy Smart.

He was involved in exclusive stories at a national level, which included the Kray twins, Profumo Affair and the Brixton Riots, while also working at nights for the Daily Mirror.

With fellow journalist Richard Reed, he started a photo and news agency, going on to cover even more stories including Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, on many occasions.

In his later years, David worked for IFAW, taking him to the ice flows of Prince Edwards Islands in Canada, photographing baby seal cubs in minus 40 degrees.

Tragically, both his parents died in a car accident when he was just starting his career in the world of news and media.

Not long after this, he married Joyce, his wife of nearly 60 years. They would go on to have two sons, Andy and Richard, the latter dying just a few days before his father.

David is survived by his son Andy and will be sorely missed by his many friends and family including grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

His funeral service will be at Reading Crematorium on December 6 at 12 noon.