MP's tribute as best friend dies

Lembit Opik said David Hamer didn't have "a bitter bone in his body"

Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik has paid a warm tribute to his best friend, who has died suddenly.

The Montgomeryshire MP described David Hamer as an "impressive intellectual and bar room buddy", and said there "wasn't a bitter bone in his body".

Mr Hamer, who was in his 40s and from Llandyssil, near Montgomery, Powys, was discovered dead on Wednesday morning.

He was also a friend of Oscar-winning actor Julie Christie, and had lived in a house owned by the Hollywood star.

Mr Opik, who learned of Mr Hamer's death on Wednesday afternoon, said his friend "was a man on two missions: to instil an appreciation of world music on a superficial public, and to inspire a sense of true political values to a population which prefers to vote for style not content".

Go easy my friend, though you left too soon Lembit Opik MP

Mr Opik said: "He was also a unique combination of impressive intellectual and bar room buddy.

"If you were down, he'd point out that 'suffering is inevitable, but misery is a choice'.

"And he'd do it with a gentleness of spirit which belied his heart, his warmth - there wasn't a bitter bone in his body."

He added: "He was my best friend from the year I met him to the day he died. Go easy my friend, though you left too soon."

At present it is not known how or where Mr Hamer died.