A regional daily’s first county cricket correspondent who also served as the newspaper’s deputy news editor has died aged 81.

David Swallow also held roles at the Bradford Telegraph & Argus including industrial correspondent and business editor during his 32 years with the paper.

David joined the Telegraph & Argus in 1961 having began his career at the Pudsey News.

A keen cricketer who had played in the same Bradford League club side as future England captain Ray Illingworth, he spent nine years as the T&A’s Yorkshire County Cricket Club correspondent – the first journalist at the paper to hold that title.

During that time he covered Yorkshire’s three consecutive County Championship titles in 1966, 1967 and 1968.

Daivd also spent time as the paper’s horse racing correspondent and in 1983, under the pseudonym ‘Petergate’, was the top evening paper horse racing tipster – finishing the Sporting Chronicle National Hunt naps table with a profit of £22.83½ to a £1 stake, which included tipping Welsh Grand National winner Corbiere at 11-1.

An obituary on the T&A’s website reads: “The following month, David, showing his versatility, was among the runners-up in a property journalist of the year competition run by no less than the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and he replaced Chris Holland as industrial correspondent in 1984.

“In 1991 he won the Bradford & Bingley Building Society personal finance regional journalist of the year award.”

David retired in 1993 and died at his home in Pool-in-Wharefedale, Yorkshire. He is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren.