Allan Reditt, a carefree swashbuckler journo with an infectious laugh

You always knew when Reditt was around: that full-throated, infectious laughter, a trademark, echoed around the newsroom. He seemed a carefree figure, much travelled, clever and funny. I knew him best as a longtime mainstay on the World Desk overnight shift where he was a superb organiser of the predawn dining revels, and a hard worker when big breaking stories interrupted things. He was closer to a layman's stereotype of the swashbuckling foreign correspondent, replete with derring-do tales, than many of his more reserved colleagues. I met him by chance in a café a year or so ago, and he was full of vigour with, as usual, many an eye-popping anecdote with spicy detail probably containing truthful seasoning. A great likeable character. ■