Newark Advertiser chief reporter Billy Phillips has died after being pulled from a Midlands canal.

The 42-year-old, who had been at the newspaper for 14 years, was in Walsall visiting a friend.

Billy Phillips

The alarm was raised when a passer-by heard cries for help.

When he was pulled from the canal he was thought to have been in the water for about 20 minutes.

Despite the fact his heart had stopped, medics managed to resuscitate him and he was taken to hospital where he suffered two heart attacks.

He was put on a ventilator but lost his fight for life early on Saturday evening.

Billy was a principled socialist and a secular service is being planned for him at Newark Town Hall.

A post mortem examination is being carried out to confirm the cause of death but the results have not been released. Police say there were no suspicious circumstances.

He had worked for the Advertiser for 14 years and in the past had been news editor and political editor.

Billy had been married twice and was in the throes of divorce from his second wife.

He leaves four grown-up children.

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