Former Gloucestershire Echo news editor John Flint has died. He was 65.

He joined the Echo after 25 years working for the Daily Mirror, and began his career in 1956 as a trainee reporter on the Wythenshaw Recorder.

In 1958 he embarked on two years of national service and was 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Army Service Corps in charge of a platoon in Hong Kong.

On his return John joined the Manchester Evening News where he worked as a staff reporter for three years.

He joined the Mirror in 1963 as a staff reporter and he later became assistant news editor, heading a team in Belfast for coverage of Bloody Friday.

He was appointed night news editor in Manchester in 1976, and continued in that role for 12 years.

In 1988 he moved to the North West Times as news editor and the following year he joined the Gloucestershire Echo, where as news editor for six years he passed on his vast experience to trainee reporters.

John was married to Manick for 35 years, and the couple have two children and three grandchildren.

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