BOLTON cricket is mourning the death of one of its most respected umpires, Ernest Johnson.

A former player with Clifton in the Bolton Association, he took up umpiring when he finished playing in 1974.

He umpired for 40 years and was widely recognised as one of the best, most skilled and knowledgeable umpires around.

He was president of the northern branch of the Association of Cricket Umpires for seven years and an instructor for the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers for both umpires and scorers.

Mr Johnson, who was in his early 80s and lived in Astley, was a life member of the Bolton and District Cricket Association and president of the BDCA Umpires Association between 2009 and 2014.

President of the BDCA, John Charlson, said: "He was very respected, a lovely man and a very good umpire."

Nick Chamberlain, chairman of Adlington Cricket Club, also paid tribute.

“He was welcome in every ground he went on after he retired," he said.

"He was well liked because of what he was like as a person and an umpire.

"He always had a story to tell and he was one of the best umpires there was.

"He was fair, steeped in the laws of cricket and umpired the game as it should be."