Tributes have been paid to the former Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Scotland who has died at the age of 53.

Dariusz Adler, a father-of-two, died on Sunday after becoming ill at his home in Belfast where he took up a newly created diplomatic role in November after four years based in the Scottish capital.

The Herald: Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh, Dariusz Adler. STY SWINDON.Pic Gordon Terris/The Herald.5/7/17.

Former Consul General Darius Adler. Picture by Gordon Terris

Jerome Mullen, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Northern Ireland, said: "It is with deep sadness that I announce the death of my esteemed colleague and friend Dariusz Adler Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Northern Ireland and offer my sincere condolence to his wife Krystyna, son Maciek and daughter Marta."

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Mr Adler was appointed last year as first Consul General in the newly established Consulate General of Poland in Belfast.

Mr Mullen said Mr Adler, a native of Warsaw, joined the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996 and worked initially on Poland’s relationship with NATO before his work "blossomed into a career building bridges for Poland’s significant international diaspora".

His first posting as a career diplomat was in Chicago after which he returned to Poland in 2006 to the Department of Consular and Polonia Affairs.

Mr Adler was then posted to London as head of Consular Services at the Polish Embassy and after three years was promoted to the Consular Division of the Embassy, which is the busiest in the world for consular activity for the republic.

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Mr Adler worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the 100,000 Poles in Scotland and was recognised for his good manner in community as well as diplomatic circles.

The Polish Cultural Festival Association posted on Facebook that Mr Adler "was always very supportive to our work to increase participation and inclusion and he will be greatly missed by both Polish and Scottish communities.

"Our thoughts are with his family in this difficult time".

Mr Adler was also key to the campaign to recognise Polish Second World War General Stanislaw Maczek with a memorial in Edinburgh, now months away from fruition.

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Campaign Trustee Katie Fraser said: "Dariusz Adler was a constant champion for the project.

"On behalf of the Trust, we send our deepest condolences to his family."