A regional daily editor who went on to run national titles has died aged 87.

Tributes have been paid to Charles Wilson, who edited the Glasgow Evening Times and its sister title The Herald before moving on to the top job at The Times and The Independent.

Charles, pictured, later became managing director of the Mirror Group and editor-in-chief of The Sporting Life.

Former sports editor Tom Clarke was among those paying tribute.

He said: “Charlie was a special hero for me. He hired me for The Times and later for The Sporting Life.

“I regarded him as a great editor, transforming The Times from the paper of record into the paper of record and news.

“He was the first sports editor to become an editor.”

Glasgow-born Charles began his career on the News Chronicle and the Daily Mail.

He took up the editorship of the Evening Times in 1976 before a short period of time as editor of The Herald while preparing the launch of the Scottish Sunday Standard.

Charles moved to The Times as deputy editor in 1982, stepping up to run the paper from 1985 to 1990.

He also edited the Independent briefly in 1995 and 1996.

Friend and colleague Charles Garside said: “Charlie Wilson played a pivotal role in the pre and post-Wapping history of newspapers.

“He had a simply amazing career for a young man who began life in the streets of the east end of Glasgow.

“A former marine boxing champion, he was a tough taskmaster who loved journalism and newspapers.

“And he had more than a ringside seat for so many great events.

“He worked closely with Rupert Murdoch through the Wapping battles and for Maxwell when the Mirror tycoon disappeared from the Lady Ghislaine.”

Charles is survived by wife Rachel, to whom he was married for 21 years, as well as his children Emma, Luke and Lily, and seven grandchildren.

He was previously married to broadcaster and TV presenter Anne Robinson and journalist Sally O’Sullivan.