The founder of Oxfordshire newspaper the Banbury Cake, Graham Wilton, has died following a long battle against cancer. He was 75.

Described as a “true Banburian who lived life to the full”, Graham was a highly-regarded journalist and was the founder of the Banbury Cake, and, with fellow fournalist Ted Hanson, started hospital broadcasting station Radio Horton.

He was also a former editor of the Banbury Advertiser, the forerunner of the Banbury Cake, and worked as a reporter at both the Banbury Focus and Oxford Mail newspapers.

He launched the Banbury Cake in 1973 when the owners of the Banbury Guardian bought the Advertiser and closed it.

Graham’s response was to set up in opposition to the Guardian, and he called the newspaper the Banbury Cake – because, he said, it was full of good things.

Graham was also the editor of the Ford car company’s in-house magazine, and was public relations officer for Rothmans Tobacco. For the last ten years he ran the Four Shires magazine with his son Jeremy.

He co-launched Radio Horton in 1964 with Ted Hanson, broadcasting to hospital patients one night a week, with Graham reading news. Today, Radio Horton is on air seven days a week.

Ted said: “We would not have a hospital radio station if it hadn’t been for Graham. He was a brilliant broadcaster, a first class journalist, and a good friend and colleague.”

Graham’s son Jeremy said: “The one abiding memory that everyone will have of the old man was his great sense of humour. He was always cheerful. He was one of the old school – a good man.”