THE boss of the Great Harwood GP who died on a skiing holiday today paid tribute to her colleague.

Dr Geoffrey Yates, who would have been 39 at the end of January, is said to have died of natural causes on Friday, January 13 in Canada. He had been skiing with a group of close friends. He was found in his room.

Today Dr Susan Upton, senior partner at Great Harwood Health Centre, Water Street, where Dr Yates worked, spoke of her sadness.

She said: "I feel like I have lost an extremely good friend and a partner I had hoped I would work with in the practice for many years to come.

"The staff and the partners and myself are very, very deeply upset. I have lost a great friend, as well as a colleague I respected highly."

Dr Yates was born and brought up on his parents' farm in Great Harwood, and attended QEGS, Blackburn, before medical training at St George's College, London.

According to Dr Upton, he had planned a career in hospital medicine, but decided his heart lay in the community and he began to train as a GP.

When Dr Yates, who was unmarried, completed his training he first worked as a locum in the area until October 2004 when he joined Dr Upton and Dr Mohammed Rahman at the health centre.

In a statement, Dr Upton said: "Within a very short time he became a respected, trusted and highly- valued family doctor and friend to many patients. Dr Yates was a great asset and dedicated to the care of the people of the town.

"His family, medical partners, staff, colleagues, patients and friends will miss him greatly."

l In an article about the sudden death of Dr Yates in Tuesday's Evening Telegraph, Dr Upton was described as the practice manager at Great Harwood Health Centre.

Her family have asked us to point out that she is actually the senior partner. This error was the result of inaccurate information supplied to the Evening Telegraph.