An outspoken former newspaper columnist who went on writing for a regional daily until well into his 80s has died at the age of 90.

Bernard Dineen, left, wrote a weekly column for the Yorkshire Post for nearly four decades, earning a reputation for fearless and forthright political commentary.

He retired as a columnist only four years ago, having initially joined the paper as a sub-editor in 1960.

Over the course of a 50-year association with the YP, Bernard also worked as the paper’s features editor and later as literary and business editor before focusing on his column.

The paper’s current editor Jeremy Clifford said:  “Bernard was a hugely talented journalist whose genius lay in his instinctive grasp of the fact that the key demand of any writer on the opinion pages is the ability to spark debate.

“His forthright views, always supported by intelligent reasoning, struck a chord with readers and his was one of the foremost voices of the newspaper for nearly four decades. He will be much missed by all who knew him and admired his work.”

A story in the paper about his death commended Bernard’s take-no-prisoners approach to political writing.

“As governments came and went, but his readiness to castigate any political figure he considered to be leading Britain in the wrong direction never wavered, his no-nonsense approach remaining popular with readers right up until his final column in 2010,” it read.

Born in Leeds, Bernard served as a tank commander in the Royal Armoured Corps and took part in the D-Day landings.

He later served with the 9th Gurkhas in post-partition India.before embarking on his career in journalism.