Former regional newspaper editor Malcolm Armstrong has died. He was 87.

He had spent a lifetime in journalism which culminated in him taking charge at the Sunday Sun in Newcastle in the late 1960s.

During his time there he was responsible for one of the most famous front pages in the paper's history - when it published the very first confirmation that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.

He also had visions of transforming the paper to a tabloid format, but this wasn't to happen until years after he had left the paper.

Among his other achievements was the part he played in the launch of the Lesley Scott Memorial Fund, which became the Children's Heart Unit Fund, one of the biggest charities in the North East.

Following his retirement in the late 1970s he and his wife, Eve, made their home in the Borders village of Yarrow, near Selkirk.

He is survived by Eve, their children, John and Janet, and five grandchildren.

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk