A sports journalist’s daughter is preparing to undertake a charity walk in memory of her father while recovering from a serious illness herself.

Laura Morrison is planning to take part in York Memory Walk, in support of Alzheimer’s Society, to honour her father Ian Wheeler.

Ian worked on newspapers across Scotland and England during a 50-year career in which he covered four football World Cups.

Ian was sports editor of Dundee daily The Courier for 10 years prior to his retirement in 1992, and also spent time as head of DC Thomson’s Newcastle office.

Laura Morrison, whose father Ian Wheeler was in journalism for 50 years

Laura, from Whixley, near York, is fighting back to fitness after undergoing surgery for a brain tumour.

Her mother Mildred is also in care and living with Alzheimer’s.

Laura, 62, told York daily The Press of her father: “He was a very intelligent man – you could ask him anything about sport and he would be able to give you the answer.

“Dad covered England’s victory in 1966 and wrote a book ‘From Weddings to World Cups’. He had a lifelong passion for sport until he was robbed of it by dementia.

“I wanted to go for York Memory Walk as soon as I saw it was happening – dementia takes a huge toll on the family and there has to be more money raised for research to beat it.”

The walk will be held at Knavesmire, York, on 1 September.