A former journalist and features editor at a regional daily title has died at the age of 92.

Veteran journalist Ormond Smyth, left, worked at several regional titles including the Leicester Mercury and the Western Daily Press in Bristol.

Born in Kilmacolm in Scotland, he spent his childhood there before graduating from Glasgow University and moving to London in 1955 where he worked as a reporter for the British Weekly.

After that he joined the Western Daily Press in Bristol in 1957 and trained as a journalist alongside Academy award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard.

In 1960 Ormond joined the Leicester Mercury as a general reporter where he worked for 13 years, eventually becoming features editor.

In 1973, he left to become a public relations officer at British Gas. He stayed there until his retirement in 1992.

He was involved in a number of local charitable and public activities in Leicester. He was named a local Justice of the Peace, chairman of the Magistrates Association, chairman of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical society and chairman of the appeal committee for the Royal Infirmary Laser Scanner in the 1990s.

His middle name was Kenneth, so he was known as OK to all that knew him.

Ormond, who had been suffering with dementia, died on Thursday, May 26 at a care home in Leicester. He leaves two sons, Tom and Paul.