A veteran reporter who became the first news editor when the Guardian moved from Manchester to London has died aged 97.

Nesta Roberts' journalism career took in stints with the Grimsby Telegraph and Nottingham Evening Post for six after which she joined the then Manchester Guardian in 1947.

When the title switched its operation to the capital in 1961 Nesta moved on to and became the first woman to lead a national newspaper news desk.

Between 1964 and 1974 Nesta was the Guardian's Paris correspondent where she built up an encyclopaedic knowledge of the nation and its history.

She was also a drama critic and feature writer and penned short stories, a BBC play and books on mental health and social medicine.

Nesta was born into a farming family and was brought up and educated in North Wales. Among her other interests were horseriding and playing the piano.

In retirement, she lived in Louth, south of Grimsby, but after a stroke six years ago was forced to move into a nursing home in the town where she died.