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Tributes paid as editor loses battle with cancer

Weekly newspaper editor Andre Gibbons has died after a battle with cancer.

The 55-year-old was editor of the Midweek Herald, a free newspaper in East Devon.

He became editor of the paper in 2003, after spending a year as sub-editor of its sister paper The Journal.

Andre (pictured) spent more than 17 years as a reporter on that paper, covering stories in Exmouth, as well as across the East Devon district as chief reporter of its sister papers, the Exmouth Herald and Exmouth Journal.

He previously also worked for news agencies in Exeter, Southampton, Bournemouth and Guildford.

During the 1970s he worked for daily newspapers in Queensland, Australia, as a crime reporter, later joining the the Sydney Daily Telegraph. His career took in national titles including the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Sketch, Daily Mail and Sunday Independent.

He was also launch editor of the International Journal of Aviation.

Bernard Driscoll, managing director of Archant South West, publisher of the Herald, said: “Andre lived and breathed his job as a journalist.

“He believed in fair play and enjoyed fighting on behalf of the underdog.”

Never afraid to tackle authority head-on, Andre was an old-school investigative reporter at heart. The byline “Exclusive by Andre Gibbons” was a regular feature of The Journal’s front page for more than a decade.

Bernard added: “I know he was proud when he became an editor and he brought a hard news edge to the newspaper.

“His colleagues, many of whom have worked with Andre for many years, are devastated by his death.”

His funeral was due to be held at St Peter’s Church in Tiverton today.

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