Letter: Paul Brown obituary

. UK edition

Paul Brown in 2023.
Paul Brown in 2023. Photograph: Caroline Audemars

Sean Ryan writes: The Guardian environment correspondent knew how to deal with Brazilian muggers

In 1992, the Guardian environment correspondent Paul Brown and I were walking along Copacabana beach during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Paul was mugged at my side by two women, who ran off with his wallet. “Just ignore them,” he said.

A seasoned traveller, he had put an empty plastic wallet in his pocket for precisely the purpose of getting through a mugging unscathed. Cool guy!