A former regional editor who went on to edit the News of the World is to be laid to rest at a village church near to where he grew up.

Barry Askew, who died last week aged 75, edited the Lancashire Evening Post before joining the now-defunct Sunday tabloid and is thought to be the last regional editor to move directly to a national newspaper editorship.

The Society of Editors announced today that his funeral is to take place at 1pm next Monday, April 30, at Holy Trinity Church, Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire.

Barry grew up in the area and was educated at nearby Lady Manners School, Bakewell, before becoming editor of its local paper, the Matlock Mercury, at the age of 25.

He edited the LEP for 13 years during which time it was involved in exposing maltreatment of patients in a mental hospital which led to the reform of hospital complaints procedures in the UK in the 1970s.

He also published a series of revelations that led to the sacking of Lancashire’s chief constable, Stanley Parr, the last chief constable to be dismissed.