A former features editor and chief sub-editor who trained hundreds of journalists has died aged 77.

Tributes have been paid to Jon Smith, who held senior roles at the Northern Echo before going on to teach journalism at Darlington College.

Jon, pictured, also worked for the Shields Gazette and The Times during his career.

He was a senior examiner with the National Council for the Training of Journalists, the author of an NCTJ guide on reporting and a leading trainer for Newsquest.

Former Echo news editor Mike Amos described Jon as an “innovative, all-round genius” in an obituary published on his personal blog last week.

Wrote Mike: “Jon died last night after a long, long illness that increasingly restricted his mobility but did nothing to limit his love of writing, literature and local history or, happily, to quench his thirst for a good pint.

“We’d been colleagues on The Northern Echo back in the 1980s, Jon the chief sub and I the news editor, roles between which a certain creative tension (as the euphemists would have it) traditionally existed.

“It was never the case between me and Smithy; between me and Smithy it was open bloody warfare – but he was a truly brilliant operator.”

Darlington Football Club has also paid tribute to Jon.

In an official statement, the club said: “Jon was a fan for many years, and had shared the club’s many ups and downs in that time, always contributing generously to our fundraising schemes.

“In his working life, he worked at the Northern Echo, and then at Darlington College. He had been a season ticket holder for many years, and indeed, was one this season.

“Everyone at the club would like to pass on their sincere condolences to Jon’s family and friends.”

An NCTJ spokeswoman added: “Those of us at the NCTJ who worked closely with Jon held him in high esteem and with a great deal of affection, and were saddened to hear of his death.

“Since his retirement he kept in occasional contact with us, most recently to discuss the new edition of Essential Journalism by Jonathan Baker.

“Although journalism has changed so much, as a legendary trainer his legacy lives on in the work of his former students at Darlington College and his Newsquest trainees, and as an exceptional senior examiner his influence endures on our exacting standards and assessments.

“It was these qualities and more that in 2010 made Jon such a worthy recipient of our chairman’s award for his outstanding contribution to journalism education and training.”