John Eccles 'probably helped me win 1997 Lewes election'

He said:"I was very sad, though not surprised, to learn of the death of John Eccles whom I knew for well over 30 years, first in his capacity as the Lewes reporter for the Sussex Express, then as a friend. John's health had been going downhill for some time.

"John and I shared a love of music, blues in particular. He played guitar and captured the sound of Big Bill Broonzy very well. Not used to musical public appearances, he once once played guitar at one of my band's gigs at the Hampden Arms in South Heighton. I think he found it a scary experience but always talked afterwards about it.

"John was that rare thing now - a local reporter who loved the town he was covering. Over the years he built up a great knowledge of the town which came through in his writing. When it was decided to build a new mini-estate parallel to Southover High Street, he objected strongly to the suggested name for the street where I am currently living. The powers-that-be had wanted something twee and ghastly like Sandringham Street, and he insisted that history be respected and a name be given that reflected the fact that the proposed street was to be on former monastic land - hence Cluny Street.

"He probably helped get me elected to parliament in 1997 by giving a front page spread to Labour party members who had announced they were going to vote for me tactically - 'Labour 13 say Vote Lib Dem'. Helpful to me but also the correct journalistic weight and coverage to an important local story.

"John was also not averse to cutting corners and he once wrote a piece for the paper about someone called Molly whose house had been demolished. Except it hadn't, as a furious Molly wrote in to the paper the following week. A sub-editor amusingly brought the temperature down by heading her letter "Good Golly Miffed Molly".

"I will miss you John," he added.