The Oldham Evening Chronicle’s longest-serving full-time employee has died aged 60.

Jim Whittingham joined the independently-owned daily in 1964 and served as deputy advertising manager for many years before becoming advertising manager in 1992.

He died suddenly on Monday and leaves behind his wife Maureen, two daughters Joanne and Gemma and grandson.

Evening Chronicle editor Jim Williams called Mr Whittingham an “an incredibly loyal and committed servant” to the paper.

He said: “Jim led the advertising team for many years and had developed close working relationships with many of the Chronicle’s advertisers who all knew him personally.

“He was a key figure in planning local and national advertising strategy for the newspaper and was a member of the senior management team.

“Jim was a devoted husband, dad and granddad and his main interest outside family and work was his beloved Oldham Athletic.

“He was a hugely popular member of the Chronicle staff and will be greatly missed by all of his friends and colleagues.”

Philip Hirst, MD of the Chronicle’s publisher Hirst, Kidd and Rennie, added: “Jim’s death represents an enormous loss to the Chronicle, not only in terms of his great experience gained over four decades of working in the advertising department, but also as a long-standing colleague and friend. I know that our advertising customers, too, will miss him.

“Jim believed in honest, straightforward dealing with customers, and that is a priceless asset.

“Both company and customers knew that they could rely on Jim’s word, and there are too few people around like that.”