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Tributes paid after night editor dies suddenly at 61

Tributes have been paid after a regional daily night editor described as the “heart and soul” of his paper died suddenly at the age of 61.

Tony Martin, left, who worked at the Liverpool Echo for more than 30 years, was found dead at his home on Sunday night.

He joined the title in 1979 as the paper’s Crosby and Bootle district reporter and progressed through a number of roles to become night editor.

Echo editor Alastair Machray led tributes to Tony in an obituary published in today’s Echo.

Said Alastair: “Tony Martin was the heart and soul of the Echo. Time after time he’d save the paper and me by spotting an error or pointing out a flaw in a plan.

“As a true Liverpudlian and a reader at heart, he knew better than anyone what readers expected from their local paper.

“I would see him walk into the office every afternoon and I’d know that everything would be OK. He is as near as I have seen to irreplaceable.”

Trinity Mirror Merseyside Weeklies executive editor Andrew Edwards added: “Tony had an unbreakable love for the Echo and a real sense of responsibility around everything he did.”

Tony started out in journalism in 1976 as a trainee reporter at the Weekly News series based in Widnes, after time working on the student newspaper while at Leeds University.

He then become chief reporter of the Liverpool Weekly News and then a sub editor, while also working for Radio City on its Saturday sports coverage.

After joining the Echo as a reporter, he covered many major stories, including the Toxteth Riots, before moving to the paper’s production team in 1984 as assistant chief sub editor.

He then went on to become deputy chief sub editor and then the paper’s night editor, who was responsible for putting the paper ‘to bed’ and handling late-breaking news.

Former Echo chief photographer Steve Shakeshaft said he remembered working on an house fire with Tony when he was covering the Bootle area.

He said: “We’d been sent to a house fire where a little dog had raised the alarm by pulling the sheets off his sleeping master and everyone got out safely.

“Tony and I thought it would make a good picture to present the dog with its own VC (victorious canine) medal. Tony made a medal with some foil and ribbon to put round the dog’s neck. It made that night’s front page.”

Bootle MP Joe Benton also paid tribute, saying he had been interviewed many times by Tony.

He said: ‘’What always struck me was Tony’s impressive grasp of issues and detail. He had a real flair for local government coverage but more importantly, he was a very warm human being who had a genuine empathy with people who were less fortunate than the majority.”

Tony was a devout Catholic and he enjoyed reading, sport and also wrote short stories, while in his youth he was a keen squash player and cross-country runner.

4 comments

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  • February 13, 2013 at 10:45 am
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    I worked with Tony at the Weekly News in the late 70’s and, although I hadn’t seen him since, I would think of him frequently. He was so
    funny – a wonderful dry sense of humour, and a great colleague. I will miss him.

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  • February 13, 2013 at 12:51 pm
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    A kind, funny, former colleague. Alastair Machray’s tribute to Tony is spot on. Never a bad word said by him or said about him. A great professional who set the highest standards. The Echo will miss him – and so will everyone who knew him.

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  • February 13, 2013 at 5:36 pm
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    I worked with Tony at the Echo from 1989-93. He was a great mentor – witty, generous, modest and talented. In in 25 years in journalism I never met a kinder, gentler soul, or one who was as universally respected and loved.

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  • February 14, 2013 at 12:16 pm
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    A tribute that oozes affection. Well done Alastair. Tony was one of the most endearing and genuine people I ever worked with. And one of the funniest Our time with the rest of the team at The Liverpool Weekly News News was without doubt one of the happiest of my working life and Tony’s contribution to that happiness was immense.

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