A former daily reporter who was later credited with discovering The Rolling Stones has died aged 85.

Peter Jones, pictured left, also wrote the first biography of The Beatles during a career which began at the Portsmouth Evening News.

He also served as editor of Record Mirror between 1964 and 1972.

Peter, who died last month, was credited with discovering the Stones afer seeing them in concert in Richmond and commissioning an article on them in Record Mirror.

He began his career at The News’s Gosport district office in 1948 having taken a commercial course at Portsmouth Municipal College.

He then transferred to its head office in Stanhope Road where he reported crime, sport and show business, interviewing the stars who appeared at the city’s then three theatres.

In 1954 he moved to London to become a trainee scriptwriter and showbiz booker, and became features and show business writer on Associated Newspapers’ Weekend magazine.

Peter got the job on a recommendation from former News colleague David English, who would go on to edit the Daily Mail. He also wrote for The Beatles Monthly, The Monkees Monthly and George Best Monthly.

But it was in 1963, after being persuaded to attend a Rolling Stones concert in Richmond upon Thames, that he made his most well-known discovery.

His obituary in The News reports: “Although not a rhythm and blues expert he was so enthused he commissioned an article on the band, the first time Record Mirror had featured a group without a recording contract.

“Peter also tipped off Andrew Loog Oldham who became the Stones’s personal manager. He subsequently hired Peter to write the group’s ‘autobiography’ Our Own Story.

“Other highlights of Jones’s time at Record Mirror included the first interview with the High Numbers (later to become The Who), ecstatic coverage of Jimi Hendrix’s British debut, and early recognition of Dusty Springfield’s star quality by placing her full-colour portrait on the front page.”