Tributes have been paid to former Belfast Telegraph news editor Norman Jenkinson, who has died aged 69.

Affectionately known to his colleagues as Jenks, he began his career in Portadown and oversaw the Telegraph’s newsdesk during the worst years of the Troubles.

One of his finest hours was the day after the Belfast Telegraph was bombed in 1976. The newsroom windows had been shattered, shards of glass were strewn over the floor and some even found their way into the reporters’ typewriters, but he succeeded in making it another news-gathering day.

Telegraph editorial executive David Neely, who worked with Norman on the newsdesk, said: “He was an old-style newspaper man, was meticulous in his attention to detail and insisted that his staff be likewise.

“But he always had a kind word and although a senior figure in the newspaper’s hierarchy, treated newcomers with courtesy and kindness, putting them at their ease.”

He was also a mentor to many young reporters, as current Belfast Telegraph deputy editor, Jim Flanagan, remembers.

He said: “Although he carried an enormous workload, he always had time to advise and encourage young journalists like myself.

“I have very fond memories of working with him and he will be remembered as one of the finest journalists this province has produced”.