A journalist who held a number of senior roles during more than four decades of service to a regional daily has died aged 79.

Tributes have been paid to Mike Bacon, who served as chief sub-editor, features editor and motoring correspondent over the course of 42 years with the Brighton Argus.

Mike, pictured, joined the Argus in 1963 and was known among colleagues for making the 20-mile round-trip by bicycle each morning from his home in Lancing to the newspaper’s Hollingbury office.

He died of Parkinson’s disease on 31 May and his funeral was held on Tuesday.

Feature writer Vanora Leigh, a former colleague of Mike’s, told the Argus: “For me, Mike was a kind and much-respected colleague.

“His calm professionalism in often challenging editorial circumstances was admired by all who worked with him.

“He was chief news sub when I joined the Argus in 1980 and later became features editor when I worked with him directly.

“He had a lovely dry sense of humour and was popular with staff in every department of the Argus.”

Mike and his wife Sally, 76, were married for almost 54 years. He is also survived by children Elan, 52, Thomas, 48, Ellis James, 46, and Amy, 38, and six grandchildren.

Sally told the Argus: “We had some lovely holidays abroad when he was testing the cars, he’s driven some lovely ones across the years.

“He covered so many stories, but I remember we were watching the Red Arrows on Brighton beach when one of the planes clipped a yacht mast and crashed into the sea.

“I think the biggest story though was when the hurricane hit Brighton in 1987.”