AddThis SmartLayers

Long-serving former court reporter dies aged 80

A former regional daily court reporter who once drove the Flying Scotsman has died aged 80.

Frank McNaught worked as a journalist for 40 years, for much of that time as court reporter with the Grimsby Telegraph.

He was one of the last members of the public to fly in a Lightning jet from RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire, and also drove The Flying Scotsman steam train when it visited Cleethorpes.

Frank died last week at the Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, after being taken ill at home on 27 May.

Born in Newark and educated in Spalding, his first job was as a trainee reporter at a weekly in Guildford where Frank lodged with fellow journalist David Hemmings, who later became an actor.

But he moved back to North East Lincolnshire with his young family when he joined the Telegraph in 1962.

He remained with the paper for the next 33 years and enjoyed one of his proudest moments as the last civilian to fly in the supersonic Lightning jet before the squadron at RAF Binbrook was disbanded in 1988.

Daughter Amanda told the Telegraph: “He broke the sound barrier twice and he loved the fact that he did that and could say he was a ‘Lightning reporter’.”

Frank retired in 1995 but continued to walk to the shops to buy the paper each day.

He is survived by his wife and daughters, as well as two sons-in-law, Peter and Paul, and grandchildren Lucy and George.