A former regional daily editor who went on to enjoy a distinguished career in local broadcasting has died at the age of 90.

Rex Bawden, left, was deputy editor of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle and then editor of the Aberdeen Evening Express among a host of regional newspaper roles in the 1950s and 60s.

But he will be mainly remembered for his pioneering work in establishing BBC Radio Merseyside as the station’s first news editor and later its station manager.

A journalist for sixty years, Rex died in hospital on Wirral, Merseyside, last week.

He began his career at the Birkenhead Advertiser where he was paid, in his own words, “eight bob a week – six shillings ten and a half pence after deductions!”

After a break for Army service, he returned to newspapers and worked for the Liverpool Evening Express, Manchester Evening Chronicle and Sunday Times befoer joining the Evening Chronicle.

Following his stint in Aberdeen he returned to the North West as chief sub-editor of the Manchester Evening News before taking on the same role at the Liverpool Echo.

He joined the BBC in 1968 as local radio was developing from its experimental phase and is credited with nurturing many talents at Radio Merseyside including two of the station’s present presenters, Roger Phillips and Billy Butler.

Rex was the station’s news editor from 1968 and went on to become manager from 1970 until his retirement from the corporation in 1981.

But even then he wasn’t finished with journalism or newspapers, becoming chief music critic for the Liverpool Daily Post.

Rex is survived by his wife Sylvia, whom he met in the Liverpool Philharmonic choir of which they were both members, and his daughter Sheena, also a former journalist.

His funeral service is to take place on 12 June at 2pm at Landican Cemetery in Birkenhead.