Former Sevenoaks Chronicle reporter and photographer Gordon Anckorn has died. He was 92.

The former journalist had worked for the newspaper for 50 years, during which time he became a local legend.

Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a journalist, and his grandfather, who was a photographer, Gordon first joined the Chronicle as an office boy.

Later becoming a reporter, he covered many of the town’s major stories including the train crash at Riverhead which killed 13 people, the proposal to build a satellite town in Whitley Forest, the felling of the seven oaks and the opening of the Sevenoaks by-pass.

He also attended the first “shambolic” meeting of Sevenoaks District Council and, after six hours of heated discussion and various amendments, told his readers that it was impossible to give an accurate account of the business. Instead, he lampooned the council for their inefficiency.

As the holder of a private pilot’s licence, Gordon also took aerial photographs for the newspaper and on occasions his passengers were terrified reporters who were told to ‘land the plane’ when he feigned a serious migraine attack.

He retired from the Sevenoaks Chronicle in 1976 and he and his wife Margery went to Norfolk to live close to their daughter Valerie and her family.