Tributes have been paid to a well-known Newport businessman and opera lover who died after being taken ill at a BBC Cardiff Singer of the World performance in Cardiff on Thursday.

The concert at St David's Hall was stopped for one-and-a-half hours after Richard Hutchings, 74, was taken ill.

The audience and performers cleared the hall due to the medical emergency and the concert resumed at 8.30pm.

Mr Hutchings was highly-respected in the property world.

He was a founding partner of Newport-based chartered surveyor firm Hutchings and Thomas, which he set up with fellow chartered surveyor David Thomas.

He was also managing director of Newport-based Leys Developments Ltd and most recently Mr Hutchings was working as a property consultant with Hutchings Consultancy.

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Mr Hutchings, who lived in Fields Park Road, in Newport, was married to Christobel and was the father of Rhys Hutchings, a member of Goldie Lookin' Chain, and Rhian Hutchings, a former director of the Youth and Community Department of Welsh National Opera, who went on to set up Operasonic, which provides opportunities for young people to get involved with opera.

Mr Hutchings was the treasurer and a trustee of the South Wales Record Society and the Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association, which he had been involved with for more than 29 years.

He was also chairman of the art committee Cardiff and County Club, a private members business club based in Cardiff.

Haydn Thomas, of Hutchings and Thomas, who worked with Mr Hutchings for more than 10 years, said: "I was so sorry to hear the news of Richard. Richard was a big fan and supporter of opera, classical singing and music. It is a huge loss to the surveying profession in Wales. I only saw him about six weeks ago discussing work. My thoughts go out to his wife Christobel and his children."