A distinguished former local, national and international journalist has died, aged 99.

Richard McMillan began at the Scarborough Evening Post at 15 and moved to Fleet Street six months later and held parliamentary and royal correspondent posts at The Times and the Daily Mail.

He was assistant editor at Tit Bits and later became editor-in-chief at the Central Office of Information.

He worked in Paris for the London Evening Standard and spent time editing newspapers on board liners between England and America during prohibition, before recording the events of the Second World War from the heart of the action.

Mr McMillan joined the High Commission in Ghana and was part of the team which kept it as a member of the Commonwealth, also establishing Africa’s Institute of Journalism.

He reported on events including the Nuremberg Trials, was one of only four accredited journalists at the funeral of George V and the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor during his long career.

He received an OBE for services to journalism for his war correspondent work but famously returned the medal in 1990 as a defiant gesture against the Poll Tax, even appearing in court at the age of 90 for non-payment.

Richard McMillan was born in Scotland in 1901 and died at his home in Frilsham, West Berkshire, a few months short of his 100th birthday.

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