Tributes to well-loved and talented Halifax Courier and Brighouse Echo journalist who led team covering the Yorkshire Ripper trial

Tributes have been flooding in for former Halifax Courier reporter and Deputy Editor, and Editor of the Brighouse Echo, Stephen Firth.

Stephen, who was 68, had enjoyed a long career as a journalist and was well known across Calderdale.

His work included leading a team of 10 Courier reporters covering the trial of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe.

Stephen was born on December 4, 1953 in Halifax. He attended Warley Road Junior School and then Heath Grammar School.

After school, he spent a few months at the Halifax Building Society on Commercial Street where he met his wife, Diane.

Despite being told he would never make it as a journalist, he decided to pursue his passion and became a trainee reporter for the Halifax Courier.

He worked his way up to Deputy Editor and then became Editor of the Brighouse Echo and Group Editor of other local news publications.

Diane and Stephen married on May 31, 1975 at Brighouse Parish Church. In 1981 they welcomed their eldest daughter Julia, followed by Helen in 1984.

He was grandfather to Isabel, 14; Millie, six and Annabel, 2 and he spent lots of his time with the girls, playing football, enjoying trips to the park and even playing Barbies.

Stephen enjoyed walking, watching horse racing and travelling, especially to his two favourite places - Cornwall and Australia.

Edward Riley, former Editor of the Halifax Courier, said: “I worked with Stephen over many years at the Evening Courier and the Brighouse Echo.

"He was a model colleague and a very enthusiastic and accomplished journalist.

"Stephen’s guiding principles were accuracy, integrity and fairness and he rigorously applied these throughout his career.

"Apart from his journalistic achievements he will be remembered especially as a people person – his friendly and helpful nature made him popular and respected within the confines of the Courier and the among the wider public in Calderdale.”

Former Courier Local Government Reporter, Michael Peel, worked with Stephen for 40 years.

“He was a wonderful friend and a very supportive colleague,” he said. “He made newcomers feel at home, helped anyone who needed it and made an enormous contribution to the work of local news gathers.

"Steve will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.”

Former Brighouse Echo and Halifax Courier reporter Virginia Mason said: “Stephen was my editor when I worked as a reporter at the Brighouse Echo. It was a privilege to work alongside him.

"He was a dedicated journalist and newsman; passionate about the Echo and the people it served.

"He had a real flair for finding a good story and was committed to ensuring that our reporting was fair, accurate and balanced.

"He was a great mentor to young journalists starting out on their careers. But most of all he was a real family man. He'll be missed by so many people who had the honour of knowing him.”

Details of a funeral for Stephen are still to be announced.