A former journalist with two regional dailies who also worked in the national press has died aged 79.

Tributes have been paid to John Prince, pictured left, who worked for both the Manchester Evening News and the Oldham Evening Chronicle during a career in which he also spent time with the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror.

He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in January.

Ian Savage, Editor of the Bolton News, worked with John at the MEN.

Paying tribute, he said: “Very sad news. Worked with JP for several months in the Stockport office 25 years ago. Learned a lot from him and we had many a laugh.”

John started his career with the Chronicle, and later worked for a Southport news agency before joining the MEN for the first time when it was based in Cross Street.

He then became a reporter and later assistant news editor on the Daily Mirror in Manchester, and for many years did Saturday night shifts on the Sunday Mirror.

However, after becoming a casualty of Robert Maxwell’s operational cutbacks at Mirror Northern, he returned to the MEN in the late 1980s, working in both Manchester city centre and the newspaper’s Stockport district office.

Former MEN photographer Chris Gleave posted on social media: “So sad to hear of the death of John Prince. I covered many jobs for the MEN with John and we spent a very eventful week together in Munich for the anniversary of the (Manchester United) plane crash.

“He was a wonderful character and great fun to be with. Sadly missed.”

John, from Cheadle , leaves two sons, Mark, and Ian. His wife, Blanche, died in 2008.

Ian said: “He was very passionate about his work. He was obsessed with newspapers – his home was awash with them. He was always funny and we will miss him.”