A former regional daily editor landed a national front page story with a scoop involving his former patch.

Mike Gilson found his byline on the front page of the Northern Irish edition of the Sunday Times with a story about an alleged attempt to oust the chief executive Sport NI, the leading public body for the development of sport in Northern Ireland.

Mike edited the Belfast Telegraph for five years before leaving to head up Brighton daily The Argus in December 2014.

He left The Argus in December last year and began working as head of communications at Adur & Worthing Councils, in Sussex, in March.

Mike’s story revealed details of a previously unreleased report by an appeals panel into the sacking of Sport NI CEO Antoinette McKeown, which suggested there was a co-ordinated attempt to get rid of her by others within the organisation.

After a two-year process during which she claimed to have suffered severe mental-health problems, she was recently reinstated to her role as chief executive of Sport NI after an appeals panel overturned all seven allegations of gross misconduct against her.

The story appeared on the front of Sunday’s edition, along with a backgrounder written by Mike.