A weekly newspaper’s first reporter who became editor at two other weeklies has died at the age of 71.

Alex Shand, left, was the first reporter to work for the Glenrothes Gazette, which published its first edition on 21 November 1962.

He had previously joined the Fife Free Press as a 19-year-old trainee in 1962 and shortly afterwards was given the role of reporter for the new paper where he spent the next 13 years.

He was eventually promoted to chief reporter and later in his career became editor of the Forfar Dispatch and then the Fraserborough Herald.

Alex, who died last week, initially trained as a journalist in Canada after moving there at the age of 11 before returning to his native Scotland to work.

The Gazette reports that he was known for breaking the news of the collapse of food processing business CADCO in the 1960s, which became a national scandal, which he described as “the greatest story of my career”.

When interviewed by the title for its 50th anniversary, he said it was: “Without doubt my biggest scoop in over 40 years on the papers, and the only time I ever got to shout hold the front page!

“I remember getting the bus to the company offices to hear a progress report and was left in reception for two hours.

“Next thing I was told was that the chairman and other directors had resigned and the company was collapsing like a house of cards.

“I found the nearest phone box and held the front page and wrote the story up on the bus as we were on deadline… what a fantastic feeling that was!”

Alex also met his future wife Sheena through the Gazette, having been sent to interview her when she was an employee of Fife Institute.

He left the Gazette in 1975 to join the Dispatch where he rose to become editor until leaving when the paper was sold.

Alex later took on the role of editor of the Fraserborough Herald where he remained until his retirement in 2009.

He is survived by son Michael, daughter Sandra and three grandchildren.