THE family of one of the Wiltshire's longest serving reporters, Swindon-born Bernal Daulman, paid tribute this week after he died at the age of 74.

Mr Daulman spent 40 years with the Gazette and Herald before he retired in 1992.

The dedicated hack, who lived at Greenway Gardens, Chippenham, died of cancer of the pancreas on Saturday with his family at his bedside.

He had only been diagnosed with cancer the day before.

He leaves his wife, Pauline, children Barbara and Bernal, and four grandchildren Kim, Nicholas, George and William. They said he would be remembered as a placid, trustworthy man who never complained.

"He loved his job," said Mrs Daulman. Mr Daulman grew up in Swindon and went to Clyde House School, before he joined Wiltshire Newspapers as a trainee journalist at the age of 16.

After two years National Service at RAF Hullavington, he returned to the Gazette, and was initially based at the Malmesbury office, before moving to Chippenham.

Mr Daulman was well known for his weekly feature, Chippenham Chat, which included gossip and humorous titbits.

Mrs Daulman said: "He covered lots of royal visits, general elections and motor racing at Castle Combe. He would often cover a motor meet, go back to the office to write it on his typewriter and then put the copy on the train to Swindon.

"It was a miracle how they got a paper out each week."

"He was a devoted father and could not have done any more for us," said daughter Barbara Feltham.

In his spare time, he enjoyed caravanning in France and the New Forest, gardening and walking.