A respected reporter and part-time stand-up comedian has lost his battle with cancer.

Tony Clarke, who worked on titles in Norfolk and the south of England for over 40 years, has died aged 71 after fighting the disease for the three years.

Tony was known as an old school journalist who was proud to report on the communities where lived as well as touring with his alter-ego stage character – the ‘Boy Jimma’ (left).

He was born in Attleborough, near Norwich, and joined the then Norfolk News Company in 1954 as a junior reporter, in Thetford, before transferring to the Norwich Mercury.

Among his responsibilities covering the Wymondham patch was a series called ‘Behind Bars’ which involved him interviewing publicans at 240 hostelries.

After serving with the RAF for two years, he joined the Norwich-based Eastern Daily Press in 1961 and then had a three-year spell as assistant editor on the Navy News, Portsmouth.

In 1973 he returned to Norfolk to become the EDP’s chief reporter in Beccles.

Not only reporting on the area, he immersed himself in the community, becoming chairman of the town’s football club, president of the Rotary club, founder member of the twinning association and a member of the Beccles carnival committee.

After retiring in 1997, he said: “Looking back I have enjoyed it enormously. Beccles is the sort of place where the more you put in, the more you get out.”

His support of the local dialect saw him elevated to secretary and chairmanship of the Friends of the Norfolk Dialect which he helped found in 1999.

A family statement said: “There were some great scoops like the letter bombs destined for the 1970s Northern Ireland Secretary Jim Prior that were stopped at Beccles sorting office.

“But dad realised the everyday bread and butter stuff was just as important to readers.”

Terry Reeve, associate editor of the Beccles and Bungay Journal who worked with Tony for 11 years, said: “Tony was a true gentlemen journalist who was fun to work with.

“He was a kind, considerate and compassionate man dedicated to being fair to the people who were subjects of his stories.

“He was respected by everyone who came into contact with him and his care and guidance was a positive influence on the careers of trainee reporters he nurtured.”

Tony leaves a widow Pat, three children Tina, Jerry and Tim and four grandchildren.