A FORMER women’s editor of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph has died at the age of 71 while on a Mediterranean cruise.

Pat Gill Bolton was with the paper until the late 70s, initially as a reporter and then as the women’s page editor.

A former pupil of Notre Dame Grammar in Blackburn, her early career included a spell at the Blackburn Times before she joined the Evening Telegraph in the early 60s.

She moved to the Warrington Guardian Series, also as women’s editor, and later took charge of the paper’s business and lifestyle pages.

This role continued until 2002, when she retired to care for husband Mike, who had a serious illness and later died. The couple are survived by a son, Ashley.

Alan Domville, Guardian features editor, who described her as ‘unforgettable’, said: “Beyond everything else she was a lady. She was always immaculately dressed and truly spoke the Queen’s English.”

Harold Heys, a retired LET news editor, added: “She was very professional and always had a touch of elegance about her. She stood out from the haze of fag smoke and beer fumes of those far-off days.”

Pat was a devout Roman Catholic and her funeral service was held, before cremation, at the Church of the Holy Angels in Hale Barns, near Altrincham, yesterday.