Staff at the Oxford Mail are mourning the deaths of two colleagues.

Andy Rogers, of Colemans Hill, Oxford, died on Saturday, aged 38. He had worked for Newsquest Oxfordshire, publishers of the Oxford Mail, as an output/image setter operator for the past six years.

Mr Rogers leaves a son, Curtis, 16, and daughter, Jade, 14, and wife, Vivienne, who he met when they were pupils at Wood Farm Primary School.

Mr Rogers' interests included crosswords and computers and he collected dictionaries.

Mrs Rogers said: "Andy had been ill for a while but his death came as a real shock. Our daughter is finding it very hard to take."

Richard Langton, deputy operations manager for Newsquest Oxfordshire, said: "Andy was always a pleasure to work with. He had a dry sense of humour and it will be very difficult to replace him. He was a professional."

Colin Dobson, a former deputy editor of the Oxford Mail, died on Friday.

Mr Dobson joined the Oxford Mail as deputy editor in 1970, just before the paper moved to Osney Mead from offices in New Inn Hall Street.

For the next 18 years he deputised for three editors - Mark Barrington-Ward, Terry Page, and Eddie Duller - until his retirement in 1988.

Mr Duller said: "Colin was very professional and he had a wealth of experience and knowledge of Oxford and Oxfordshire which came through in the paper.

"He was absolutely dedicated to giving the best news, features and sports service and I learned a tremendous amount from him."

Mr Dobson lived in Five Mile Drive, Oxford, until he moved to the Fewcott House Nursing Home, near Bicester, three years ago, where he died of bronchial pneumonia.

A keen gardener and reader, Mr Dobson wrote book reviews and the gardening column for the Oxford Mail for many years after he retired.

He is survived by two daughters, Gillian Dodge and Jennifer Dobson.

Miss Dobson said: "He was a reserved man but a very loving father who always put his children first."

Arrangements for both funerals are yet to be finalised.