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Newspaper sports journalist found dead at home, aged 38

Chichester Observer sports editor Ben Steppel has been found dead at home. He was 38.

He was a well-known and popular figure across his patch in Sussex, having also worked at the Worthing Herald, BBC Radio Sussex and Spirit FM.

In addition to his sporting interests at work, he was a football referee and cricket umpire.

Ben, (right), was found dead in bed at his Worthing home after he failed to arrive for work in Chichester on Monday morning.

A post mortem examination is planned, after which an inquest may be held. Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious. Ben was known to have been diabetic and an epilepsy sufferer, and had other health problems.

Jon Buss, the editor of the Worthing Herald, paid tribute, and said: “Ben was a self-taught journalist who mastered new technology at a time when the industry was going through great change.

“He worked hard, took responsibility and, the mark of a true professional, invariably struggled-in even if he didn’t feel too well. He didn’t want to let anyone down.

“I last saw him a couple of weeks ago in Warwick Street. He was proud of the fact that he had lost a couple of stone. He said he felt all-the-better for it.”

Observer series editor Colin Channon said: “Ben was a dedicated journalist whose love of sport shone through everything he did.

“When he invited sports correspondents to the Observer offices to spell out what he expected of them, his professionalism was absolute – everyone left knowing exactly what role they were playing.

“He had so many good ideas how to develop our sports coverage. He was absolutely committed to the local sports scene, and fought hard to get as much space in the paper for ‘his’ sportsmen and sportswomen.

“He’s probably arranging a game of some sort up in heaven now. He’ll be the referee or the umpire, and he’ll arrange for a first-class report to appear in the local paper up there, too.”

  • Running the line
  • Ben had joined the Worthing Herald sports department in October 1998 to report for the Littlehampton Gazette and Shoreham and Steyning Heralds.

    He moved to the Observer in November 2003 to take up the sports editor role.

    Ben did senior soccer round-ups for then BBC Radio Sussex in the late 1990s, and he reported for Spirit FM in recent years.

    Herald sports editor Richard Amey said: “Never did he stop talking about his passion, or having an opinion, which he was swift to voice, whether to a lay observer, a manager or captain, or someone else in a position of responsibility.

    ”If he felt it, or thought it, it needed saying. Likewise writing. Occasionally, he could not help shouting through the wires of impartiality’s cage. And he loved nothing better than watching a game in his leisure time, and taking the liberty of venting the critical side of his nature.”

    Sussex FA chief executive Ken Benham said: “What he put in the paper made people read it. He highlighted the problems and how we needed to address it and how to increase numbers.

    “People had differing opinions of Ben but you could have fun with him. You could take the mickey out of him and he wouldn’t mind. He was a character in football — a likeable one — and he will be greatly missed on the scene.”

  • Umpire duties
  • Away from the world of sport, Ben was a regular churchgoer.

    East Worthing Baptist minister Steve Lomas said: “Ben was young people-orientated and a very gifted, exuberant and enthusiastic musician on our piano. He played by ear. He did not read music but he could play anything you asked.”