JOURNALIST James O’Brien, who worked for The Shuttle between 1996 and 1998, has died aged 73.

He moved to Kidderminster in 1975 while working for the Daily Telegraph as its Midlands reporter and the town remained his home after his retirement from newspapers.

Shuttle editor Clive Joyce said: “James brought a fantastic amount of experience to the Shuttle editorial team when he joined us and his integrity and sharp sense of humour quickly made him a valued colleague and friend.

“His warm manner made him a great ambassador for this newspaper.”

Mr O’Brien, who died peacefully at home on Monday, December 10, began his career on a weekly newspaper in Shipley, West Yorkshire and he later worked for the Sheffield Telegraph and then became editor of an industrial newspaper for Lucas, a Birmingham-based motor and aerospace firm.

After his time at The Shuttle, he joined The Birmingham Post and won the Midland Business Journalist of the Year award.

His wife of 49 years, Joan, said: “He had two years at The Shuttle. He said that while he worked there he felt that weekly newspapers hadn’t changed since 1957. As long as he was writing he was happy.”

Mr O’Brien leaves a daughter, Charlotte and a son, James. His funeral will be held on Thursday at Harvington Church at 1pm.