A former managing director of the North of England Newspaper Company has died aged 99.

Shannan Stevenson became managing director of the former publishing company, whose portfolio included the Northern Echo, in 1950 and steered it through the print strike of 1959.

Following the dispute, it was his proud boast that the Northern Echo had not lost a single issue since its 1870 launch.

He was also a director of parent company Westminster Press and served on the Newspaper Society's council for 17 years, becoming president in 1964.

Born in North Tyneside, he was the son of newspaper proprietor Ronald Cochran Stevenson, and his newspaper heritage stretched back to 1849 when his great-grandfather founded the Shields Gazette.

The family company, The Northern Press, bought and founded other newspapers in Northumberland and was itself taken over by Westminster Press. Under this new ownership, Mr Stevenson became managing director of The Northern Press.

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