Everest hero Hillary dies at 88

Tributes were today being paid to Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest, after he died at the age of 88.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the explorer was an heroic figure and that all New Zealanders would mourn him.

Sir Edmund's health had been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall in Nepal.

He conquered the world's highest mountain with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, on 29 May 1953, and was made an honorary Nepalese citizen five years ago after devoting his life to helping the Sherpas of Nepal's Khumbu region.

Do they make heroes like Sir Edmund Hillary anymore? Add your tributes using the comment box below and read the full story in today's Shropshire Star.