Michael Chamberlain, assistant editor of Mid Somerset Newspapers, has died. He was 62.

He died peacefully in hospital after a valiant fight against throat cancer which many thought he had won. He had already been back at his desk part-time after treatment.

Michael was extremely well-known in Wells and had been made a Freeman of the City – making him only the 16th person to be honoured with the title since 1722.

He was involved with many local groups, including Wells Round Table, Wells Rotary Club, Mission For The Deaf, Friends of Wells and District Hospital, Wells Carnival Committee, Wells Little Theatre and Wells Chamber Of Commerce, and when his illness was first diagnosed Michael was inundated with hundreds of get well cards.

His ambition was always to get into journalism and he joined the reporting staff of the Wells Journal in 1964.

In the early 1970s he moved to the Western Gazette and worked with staff reporter Brian Seal. Together they covered the whole of Mendip district for the next 17 years until Brian retired in 1990.

Michael remained with the Western Gazette, working from his home in Wells, until 1997 when he returned to Mid Somerset Newspapers as assistant editor and Wells reporter.

When Michael began work on local newspapers they depended on old-fashioned typewriters and printers that set each line of every report one at time from molten metal.

He made the transition to the modern newspaper world of computers, e-mail and digital cameras eagerly because it gave journalists greater freedom to report events.

He also played a major role in the changes at Mid Somerset Newspapers, with the introduction of colour printing, more pages and more local news.

Michael’s colleagues paid tribute to him through the pages of the newspaper.

Editor Philip Welch wrote: “Michael was a fine reporter and a committed servant of the community who combined compassion with his extraordinary capacity for work.

“After long hours in the office he would give his spare time to help local schools, charities and churches.

“He will be missed but remembered as a man of honour who reported simply without favour or spin.”

Michael leaves a wife, Marguerite, and two children.

A private burial service will be followed by a public memorial service at 2pm on Wednesday at St Cuthbert’s Church, Wells.

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