Extracts from an editor’s column which spans nearly two decades have been compiled for his fourth book.

Father-of-four Peter Barron, from the Northern Echo, has been writing ‘Dad at Large’ for 18 years and the fourth volume of his columns is again raising money for the Butterwick Hospice, in Stockton-on-Tees.

Peter, who has just passed the ten-year mark as Echo editor, told HoldtheFrontPage: “The column is about the trials and tribulations of fatherhood.

“I also do speaking engagements on the back of the books and have raised about £20,000 over the last ten years.

“I wanted it to benefit children and my connection with the hospice goes back to the Northern Echo campaign in 1997 to help build the hospice in the first place.

“At that time there was no hospice just for children in the North East. Within 18 months we had raised enough money to build it.”