A journalist who worked for the same regional daily for 32 years has died at the age of 91.

Robbie Drummond-Smith joined the Torquay-based Herald Express in 1952 from a newspaper in Kirkaldy and stayed there until his retirement in 1984.

He held the role of chief reporter at the title until he was made deputy news editor in 1977 and he also took on responsibility for training reporters.

During Robbie’s time at the paper, he reported on many of the major events taking place in South Devon and he also went out to Canada to see British troops on military exercises and flew to the Bahamas for a travel feature.

Deputy editor Jim Parker, who worked with Robbie, said: “I remember Mr Smith, as we called him, being a highly respected figure in the newsroom where he ran things to the letter.

“I also found he was highly respected out in the community where he knew everyone. Mr Smith expected the job to be done properly because that was the way he would do it himself.”

He met his wife Wendy in Cairo during the Second World War when he was serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

After they married, they lived in Scotland where their children Susan and Jonathan were born, until the family moved to Torquay in 1952.

The couple remained in Devon on their retirement and Wendy died in 2007 at the age of 96.

Daughter Susan said: “He was always really proud of his work. He covered everything – courts, council, major events – he knew everybody.

“He really enjoyed it and took great pride in the honesty and integrity of his reportage, as he would call it.”

His funeral was held in Torquay on Tuesday.