BB FANS

Sat Aug 6, 2005 7:23 PM BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook died on Saturday after collapsing while walking on a mountain in northern Scotland, police said. He was 59.

Cook served as foreign secretary from 1997 to 2001 and maintained a high public profile as a fierce critic of Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq.

He resigned as Leader of the House of Commons in 2003 over the government's decision to back the U.S.-led war.

Cook was walking with his wife on Saturday on Ben Stack mountain when he collapsed, police said.

"Mr Cook apparently took ill while walking with his wife Gaynor on Ben Stack and was removed by Stornoway coast guard helicopter to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness," a police statement said.

He died in hospital on Saturday evening, the police statement said.

Bloody Hell! That's shocking! I was in no way a fan of his but I sympathise with the family - 59 is no age to die. Oh dear.

Mo mowlam, and Robin Cook, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but when George Galloway gets "ill", I'll be worrying

Respect to Robin Cook, but i was reading through some thoughts from the public on the BBC website, and one pensioner had this to say:



From what she was saying, why couldn't he have gone a few times all year round, and not just before the election. Anyway, R.I.P Robin Cook.

Couldn't believe this when I heard it - he was really young

My mum is going to be 60 next week and all I can think is that she is waaaaaaaaaaayy to young to die!!! It's just horrible. I'm starting to fear for her mortality if people of 59 can just drop down dead so easily. My mum has so many health problems that you'd think I was lying or exaggerating if I listed them all. She seems to have every ailment known to mankind but it never occurs to me that she might die at 59. I feel very sorry for his family and any children he has.

It's very sad indeed, a bloke who stood up for what he believed in.

R.I.P Robin