Much-loved Covent Garden vendor Roderick Mackillop has died

We are saddened to announce that veteran London vendor Roderick Mackillop has died.

Roderick was a familiar sight along Long Acre in Covent Garden, selling the magazine on different pitches on the central London street for many years.

He died on Saturday. At this time the cause of his death is unknown.

Originally from Scotland, the 57-year-old was a committed Big Issue vendor who described returning to pitch after the Covid-19 lockdown as “the best news he had ever heard”, according to Lauren Neale, The Big Issue’s London sales and operations manager.

“Roderick very much kept himself to himself but he was a very nice and unassuming guy,” she said.

“He was best friends with another one of our vendors Roger and our local franchisee. I spoke to him a lot during lockdown and when I told him that we were coming back he told me that it was ‘the best news he had ever heard’.

“I think that underlines just how much he enjoyed selling the magazine and speaking to his customers. We will miss him dearly.”

Roderick is the fourth London vendor to die since lockdown. The Big Issue understands that none of the deaths were related to Covid-19.

Jimmy McMahon passed away in June just before vendors returned to the streets while Eric Pelly died last week following a long battle with cancer.

Long-term vendor Dave Julian, 54, also died on August 3. He was a well-known face outside the Canada Goose store on Regent Street and the Phoenix Theatre in Charing Cross.

The Big Issue would like to pass on our condolences to each vendor’s family and friends.