TRIBUTES have been paid to a "brilliant" and "conscientious" newspaper man, who was educated at Churcher’s College in Petersfield.

Tony Short was a much-loved and respected colleague and mainstay of the Post’s sister title the Farnham Herald Series newsroom for almost 40 years.

Born on June 24, 1959, the son of John and Mary, Tony was the youngest of four children and grew up with his siblings Michael, Anne and Lucy in Midhurst before moving to Petersfield when he was aged ten.

He went to Churcher’s College at a time when it was still a grammar school, and then went on to train in journalism at Highbury College in Portsmouth. He joined the Farnham Herald in 1980, appointed by the then-editor Reg Hatt.

Tony quickly proved himself as a first-rate news reporter and his early roles included the daily police calls, and he soon specialised in covering Farnham magistrates’ court, now the headquarters of Post Series owners Tindle Newspapers.

For transport, Tony relied on an ancient moped, trundling back and forth from Petersfield and braving all the elements - including on one notable occasion a blizzard, arriving in the newsroom completely covered in snow. Tony was based at Farnham for several years until the late 1980s when Robin Radley, then-editor, agreed to move him to the Alton Herald. He enjoyed a long spell at Alton until, in the early 1990s, the Herald abandoned typewriters and went computerised.

Peter Thompson, the new editor, quickly realised Tony had a flair for the new technology and so brought him back to Farnham as a sub-editor, working with the new Quark publishing software.

Tony was the fastest sub during the editorship of Peter Thompson and then Vic Robbie. This earned him a promotion to chief sub when Sandy Baker succeeded Vic Robbie as editor, and when Sandy left over a decade ago Sir Ray Tindle appointed Tony as editorial manager. He left the Herald after 38 years in October last year, but such was Tony’s lasting impression on his former colleagues that, on falling ill, his bedside was seldom without visitors during his final days.

Sir Ray Tindle, Herald Series proprietor, said: "Tony Short was a long-serving member of the Herald editorial team and occupied the chair at a most important time. We are very sorry to lose him and send sincere condolences to his family."

Scott Wood, south east and group operations managing director at Tindle Newspapers Ltd, said: "I remember saying to Tony when we first met that editing the Farnham Herald was I’m sure a great challenge - of which he just gave me a wry smile. He was a very private man but I knew he cared greatly about his colleagues."

He died at The Rowan’s Hospice in Waterlooville on February 5, aged 59, after a short battle with cancer and is survived by his brother Michael and sister Lucy.