The former co-editor of Essential Law for Journalists has retired from a key industry training board after a record 35 years’ service.

Walter Greenwood has twice been chairman of the National Council for the Training of Journalists’ law examinations board during the course of his marathon stint.

At his final board meeting in London last week he was presented with gift of book tokens from his successor as chairman, Mark Hanna.

He told the meeting it had been a privilege to serve the NCTJ, which he said was “vastly different” from when he started in 1974, when only eight colleges offered journalism courses.

Walter, who has also been a joint editor with Tom Welsh of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, was formerly editor (training) with Thomson Regional Newspapers.

He also had a spell as chairman of the NCTJ’s North-East advisory committee

He joined the law board in 1974, serving under Tom as its first chairman, and took over from him in 1979, serving for four years, and was interim chairman again in 2005, for 18 months.

Presentations were also made at the law board to two other departing members of the board – Campbell Williams, ex-Cardiff College and Western Mail, and Peter Tate, ex-Bournemouth Echo.