A former newspaper boss who went from apprentice compositor to managing director over the course of a 34-year career has died aged 74.

Blackpool-born Mike West, left, joined his local paper the Blackpool Gazette as an apprentice in its printing operation in 1962.

By the time he took early retirement in 1996, he was regional managing director of the Gazette’s then parent company, United Provincial Newspapers.

Mike, of Singleton Hall, died in Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital last week.

After finishing his apprenticeship, Mike went on to work as a paper planner in the advertising department before moving into management as display advertising manager.

In the early 1980s he was appointed commercial director and later moved to UPN sister title the Lancashire Evening Post as deputy managing Director.

He subsequently became managing director of the LEP before taking on the role of NOrth West regional director for UPN newspapers, now part of Johnston Press.

Mike was also a member of the Newspaper Society and president of its NW branch in 1994.

Outside work, golf was Mike’s major passion and he was captain and president at Blackpool’s North Shore Club.

He regularly played with the Newspaper Society Golf Society and won their annual competition on two occasions.

Tony Shaw, managing director of the Evening Gazette from 1984 to 1996, said “I worked and socialised with Mike for over 50 years. We were the best of mates, through good times and hard times. I never had a brother, but had I been so lucky, it would have been Mike”

Mike leaves two daughters, one of whom lives in Boston, USA and the other in Sydney, Australia.