Colonial finance guru Haddon-Cave dies at 74

Former chief secretary Sir Philip Haddon-Cave has died of a heart attack while in a taxi near his retirement home in Oxfordshire, central England. He was 74.

The former head of the civil service and, as financial secretary, the original promoter of 'positive non-intervention', Sir Philip had been in good health.

He was returning home from a meeting at King's College, Cambridge, with his wife, Elizabeth, when he died on Monday afternoon.

'He had been as fit as a fiddle but died instantly and didn't suffer any pain,' his son, Charles, said from his parents' home in Tackley, south of Oxford.

'This has come as a terrible shock to us as he was in good health and had been enjoying his retirement but always kept quietly abreast of events in Hong Kong. Hong Kong was his first love and always remained very special to him.' Since retiring from the civil service after 34 years, Sir Philip had worked as a director of the Robert Fleming Investment Trust and had several other business interests.

'He has spent the last few years seeing his many grandchildren and helping our mother with her painting,' his son said.