THE family of a former Bolton News journalist, have described him as a “genuinely lovely man”, following an inquest into his death yesterday.

Alan Calvert, deputy news editor at the Bolton News from May 1966 until his retirement in March 2005, died on November 13 at Salford Royal Hospital aged 72, after suffering a stroke at his home in Patterdale Road, Harwood.

In a narrative conclusion at Bolton Coroner's Court, assistant coroner Timothy Brennand recorded a cause of death of spontaneous intra-cerebral haemorrhage, exacerbated by intermittent atrial fibrillation treated with apixaban, and chronic lymphatic leukaemia treated with Ibrutinib.

The inquest heard how on November 10 last year Mr Calvert seemed fit and well before early the next morning his wife Margaret noticed that he had become agitated, his speech slurred and that his face had dropped on one side.

Mrs Calvert immediately called for an ambulance and Mr Calvert was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, where, despite treatment, over the course of the next 24 hours his condition deteriorated, and it was decided to move him to palliative care.

Speaking at the inquest, neurologist Dr Richard Protheroe said: “Mr Calvert could have had the haemorrhage at any point because of his age, and even without treatments it could have been just as disastrous.”

Mr Calvert was born on March 12, 1945 in Lytham St Annes, and studied journalism at Preston College before becoming a reporter a the Lytham St Annes Express.

A “fierce” supporter of local journalism, Mr Calvert moved to Bolton aged 21, joining the Bolton Evening News where he held numerous positions, including business editor and deputy news editor, before his retirement in his 60s.

Proud father to Phil and Francis and a grandfather to Lucy and Emma, Mr Calvert was a lover of table tennis and bowls, as well as a keen walker, and music and reading enthusiast.

Mrs Calvert said: “I would like to thank all the hospital staff at the Royal Bolton and Salford Royal Hospitals, the paramedics and all the nursing teams.

“Alan was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He was a genuinely lovely man and we miss him so much all the time.”