Lord Tebbit, one of Margaret Thatcher's closest allies and a former Tory Party chairman, has died aged 94.

The former journalist, pilot and minister died peacefully on July 7 at 11.15pm.

Tebbit was targeted in the IRA's vicious 1984 bombing of Brighton's Grand Hotel, which left his wife Margaret paralysed for the rest of her life.

The Tory grandee survived Margaret by five years following her death in 2020.

His death has prompted emotional tributes from Conservative figures past and present - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart hailed him as a "titan" when the news broke this morning.

Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith, meanwhile, said he was "sad to learn of the death of Lord Tebbit", and labelled him "a great Conservative whose values Britain could use a great deal more of today".

Former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said: "Rest in eternal peace great man. Norman Tebbit was a giant of Conservative politics and Conservative ideals.

"A man who looked after his beloved wife beautifully after the horrific terror attack by the IRA. A man who nurtured and befriended young conservatives like me."

The Tory grandee was born in 1931 to a working-class family in Ponders End, Middlesex, before pursuing a career as an airline pilot.

Having carried out national service for the RAF, where he flew Meteor and Vampire jets, he went on to join the old British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

Tebbit was first elected as a Conservative MP for Epping in 1970, and four years later for Chingford - areas which went on to symbolise the grassroots Tory support which propelled Thatcher to No10.