After 22 terms Bill Young was the longest serving Republican member of the U.S. Congress.

He died on Friday at the age of 82, less than two weeks after he revealed he planned to retire.

He'd been in hospital with back problems he suffered as a result of a plane crash in 1970.

His family said he died from complications related to a chronic injury.

There'll be a special election to fill Young's Florida seat but the result won't affect the balance of power in the house where Republicans hold a 32-seat majority