Tributes have been paid to a popular Big Issue vendor who has died.

Bob MacLeod, 42, sold his magazines near the Clock Tower in the city centre.

Affectionately known as Ben Nevis Bob, the Scottish native was a well-liked figure.

Customers have left tributes at his pitch outside Waterstones.

Liz Robinson said: “I had £2.50 ready for my Big Issue but there was no Bob to sell it to me.

“Instead there were flowers and a card to say Bob had died.

“It was a shock and I feel bereft.

“He brightened my visits to Brighton even though I could not always understand his broad Scots accent.

“I will miss his welcoming face at the Clock Tower, I will miss our little chats, I will miss his big Bob personality. Thank you Bob.

Fellow customer and friend Eunice Kenny said: “I was heartbroken to see the tributes to Bob outside Waterstones in Brighton

“He was the first friend I made in Brighton when I moved here four years ago.

“We had so many great conversations and I cherish the bottle stopper he gave me as I know he loved the piece of lava I brought back for him from Vesuvius.”

National Distribution Director at the Big Issue Peter Bird said: “I was fortunate to have known Bob personally. He was a bright light in an often dull and depressing world.

“Since he sadly passed away, we have spoken to so many people who have told us that Bob would always be there for them with a cheerful smile and often make their day by kind gestures.”

Bob started selling The Big Issue after moving to Brighton more than a decade ago.

He had struggled with alcoholism and liver problems, but managed to get sober seven years ago.

In an interview with the magazine, he said: “I was a big drinker. I had just turned 35 and my old man had died at the age of 35 because of the drink and a heart attack.

“So when I woke up on my 35th birthday I thought, I can’t do this any more.

“I went cold turkey, sweated it out and gave it up. I kept thinking about my old man – he was always in the back of my mind.”

Anton Collins, Bookstore Manager, Waterstone’s Brighton: “It’s so sad, a real shock to be honest. Bob had a lot plans and hope, talking about going back to Scotland, starting to reconnect with his family.

"All the staff here got to know him. We’d chat to him every day, about how he was getting on, or films, football, TV… Scotland! He used to read a lot of history books, military history particularly. He used to buy books from us on occasion, and sometimes we’d pass on proofs to him.

"From the day he started he was a big personality, and always keen to get on with everyone. He was here pretty much every day, come rain or shine – it was a strange day if he wasn’t.

"Professionally, he was quite useful, because he knew a lot of people in town, and knew those who we needed to keep an eye out for. If he knew someone who might want to take something from the shop, he’d have a quick word, tell them that it was his manor and to leave it. Obviously that wasn’t anything official, but he was protective of his pitch, but also the store.

"Since he passed away, so many people have come in and asked us what happened, or what’s happening in terms of a service. It’s made us aware of how much our customers were also his customers.”

Bob was a keen fisher, had a passion for archaeology and enjoyed camping. He lived in a tent near the beach in recent years and had made plans to return home to Scotland in the future.

“I’m thinking about heading back to the Highlands,” he said in the interview.

“There are people I haven’t seen for a long time. I feel as if something’s calling me back to Scotland. Meanwhile, selling the magazine keeps me going.

“I don’t think people realise that The Big Issue is a lifeline. It gives you something when you have nothing else.”