A regional daily reporter who interviewed a father of three the day before he died in an assisted suicide clinic says he had to put his subject’s fate “to the back of his mind”.

Gareth Vickers, senior reporter at The Gazette, Blackpool, spoke exclusively to Jeffrey Spector, who decided to take his own life aged 54 over worries a spinal tumour could paralyse him.

Gareth had received a tip-off about the story on Wednesday and visited the family home the following day.

He then spoke on the phone to Mr Spector, who was already at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.

Gareth told HTFP: “In many ways it was a fairly easy interview. He was very calm and clear.

“I just had to put to the back of my mind what was about to happen.

“Assisted suicide has long been a controversial topic and this has brought the subject back into the national picture.”

Before swallowing a lethal dose of barbiturates on Friday, Mr Spector texted Gareth urging him to make sure what was printed was “the truth”.

The story provided today’s front page for The Gazette, pictured above, and has since been covered in the national media.

Gareth added: “The reaction to the story today has not been a big surprise to me.

“It is clearly an emotive subject, one which many people have strong views for and against.

“I was just pleased Mr Spector was good enough to speak to me and allow The Gazette to run the story.

“It was the last few hours of his life and he trusted me to write a story which was his open and honest view.”