Ross Lidbetter

A popular reporter described as “a friend” to all the communities he worked with has left his local paper after 12 years.

Ross Lidbetter, now aged 31, started at the Croydon Advertiser as a teenager but has now taken voluntary redundancy.

He joined the Advertiser’s editorial team full time in 2000 after signing up for one day a week’s work experience on the sports desk in 1999.

In a tribute piece to Ross’s work, the paper spoke to several people he had dealt with over the years, including grieving families, local businessmen and councillors, who described him as a “great friend” to the community who made a “tremendous difference” to peoples’ lives.

Taking to Twitter to say his farewells, Ross said: “The Croydon Advertiser has been a wonderful paper to work for and I leave with many happy memories and some great friends.”