Sir Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his late wife Linda, whose photographs have been compiled in a new book.

The book, entitled Linda McCartney: Life In Photographs, is released on April 20, and has been compiled from an archive of over 200,000 images taken by the photographer.

Speaking ahead of its release, Sir Paul said: "From the early days I have very much admired her photography and being able to experience it personally only added to my feelings of admiration.

"In those days, it was quite unusual for a woman photographer to be working on her own in photography and, in many ways, I know she has inspired a large number of female photographers who followed in her footsteps."

Linda McCartney was widely regarded as one of the leading music photographers in the late 1960s, and captured the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and The Who.

She and Sir Paul married in 1969. Linda died in 1998 after a three-year battle against breast cancer. She was 56.

(by Jason Gregory)