Former Norwich South MP Dr Thomas Stuttaford, who became a health columnist for The Times, has died at the age of 87.

Norwich Evening News: Dr Tom Stuttaford, with his wife Pamela pictured in June 1970. Pic: Archant Library.Dr Tom Stuttaford, with his wife Pamela pictured in June 1970. Pic: Archant Library. (Image: Archant)

Dr Stuttaford was the Conservative MP for Norwich from 1970 until 1974, winning the seat for the Tories after Labour's Christopher Norwood stepped down.

Born in Horning on May 4, 1932, Dr Stuttaford studied at Town Close independent school in Norwich, and at Gresham's School in Holt, where he was head boy.

He was captain of the rugby side at Gresham's and went on to captain the Norfolk and Suffolk schoolboys' rugby teams, eventually playing for the Eastern Counties schoolboys' team.

He read medicine at Brasenose College in Oxford and, after a period of National Service with the 10th Royal Hussars and a spell with the Territorial Army, he returned to Norfolk where he was in general practice for about 11 years before politics came calling.

Norwich Evening News: Dr Thomas Stuttaford was MP for Norwich South from 1970 until 1974. Pic: Archant Library.Dr Thomas Stuttaford was MP for Norwich South from 1970 until 1974. Pic: Archant Library. (Image: Archant © 1970)

He served on Norwich City Council from 1969 to 1971 before winning Norwich South.

He often rebelled against his leader Ted Heath, but said he was 'very pro' Mr Heath's successor Margaret Thatcher.

He had wanted the UEA to be built in the city centre, rather than where it was eventually built, on the southwestern outskirts of the city.

Speaking in 2014, from his home in Norwich's Elm Hill, he said:'I wanted it to be like Oxford and Cambridge, both of whose universities are in the city centres.

'Having said that, I think the university has done extremely well where it is.'

After a single parliamentary term, he lost his seat to Labour's John Garrett in February 1974.

Following that, he stood twice for the Isle of Ely parliamentary seat, but was not successful.

However, in 1982 he started a career as a medical journalist and columnist for The Times.

He worked for them until 2009 and was parodied in Private Eye.

Dr Stuttaford also worked at Queen Mary's Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Royal London Hospitals and was a medical advisor to Conservative Central Office until 1997.

Dr Stuttaford died of a suspected heart attack on June 8. He leaves three sons - Andrew, Thomas and Hugo.

His wife Pamela, a best-selling author of books for young people, died aged 82 in 2013, after a long illness.