Tributes have been paid to former Lancashire Telegraph deputy editor Gordon Duckett following his death aged 91.

Born in Accrington, Gordon joined the town's paper before moving to the Evening Telegraph, as it was known at the time, before heading down south, and his career went full circle and he returned to East Lancashire.

Gordon's family ran a grocer's shop in Richmond Hill Street when he was born, and he attended Accrington Grammar School.

Away from education, he was a powerful swimmer, representing Accrington's water polo club, and his swimming prowess also saw him take on the sport competitively while doing his national service in the Royal Air Force.

It wasn't just in the pool where his sporting pedigree shone through. Gordon was a skilled golfer, holding a single-figure handicap for more than 40 years and picking up numerous trophies around the links.

He became Green Haworth Golf Club's youngest captain aged 28 and was also a member at Wilpshire Golf Club. He was also a member of Blackburn Bridge Club.

Gordon's career in journalism began at the Accrington Observer and Times, before moving to the Lancashire Telegraph as a Rossendale Valley reporter following his national service.

At the LT he moved onto the sub-editors' desk and quickly rose to the role of chief copy taster.

In 1967, he left East Lancs to take the role of chief sub-editor at a new newspaper launched in Hemel Hempstead, The Echo.

He combined this role with working on the subs' desk at The Mirror, arriving at its offices by 5.30pm.

His career then brought him back to East Lancashire, taking the deputy editor role at Burnley's Evening Star, before returning to the LT as deputy editor.

During his career he won a number of awards for newspaper design, and held his role at the LT until his retirement in 1992.

In retirement, Gordon and his wife of 54 years Jean moved to Dorchester-on-Thames, a village in Oxfordshire.

Gordon and Jean had two children, Rachel and Matthew.

His daughter Rachel said: "Gordon was very well known and loved across Lancashire.

"Never a day went by when there were shouts of 'hello' and 'how are you' wherever we went in East Lancashire and often well beyond.

"He was a brilliant journalist and a lovely human being. Whilst he was at the Telegraph (with then a huge circulation - almost everyone in the town and surrounds would buy a copy), he was the face of the scanner appeal for the hospital and took on many a fight on behalf of individuals who had no other recourse.

"On the day he was married, the Telegraph ran a front-page headline, 'You can't duck it this time Duckett', such was his popularity."

Alan Simpson, who took over as deputy editor following Gordon’s retirement, said: “Gordon was an outstanding character at the Telegraph.

"On the days he edited the paper his daily conferences were thorough and inquisitive and it was on those days that his true talents came to the fore.

“In between his two periods at the Evening Telegraph he worked at another Thomson newspaper, the Reading Post, during which time he also worked casual shifts on the Daily Mirror in Fleet Street where he was highly thought of.

“If he had chosen a career on the nationals he would have gone a long way.

“Back in Blackburn, he had outstanding knowledge of the area and his Monday morning ‘Tales From Wilpshire Golf Club’ were legendary.

“He and I also had lively debates about football with him being a regular at Ewood Park and me a Clarets supporter. But Gordon was never argumentative and it was always friendly banter!”

Cassandra Murray, who worked at the Lancashire Evening Telegraph as a reporter and sub-editor under Gordon, said: “So very sad. He was an excellent manager of people and I never saw him lose his temper, yet people did what he needed them to do. No dramas.”

Sharon Dale, another reporter under Gordon, added: “He was a lovely man and gentleman.”

Gordon's funeral will take place on Thursday, June 13, at South Oxfordshire Crematorium and Memorial Park. Any donations are asked to be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind.