FORMER colleagues have paid tribute to a Roose journalist who went on to write iconic headlines during his successful career with a national newspaper. 

The funeral of Monty Levy was held in Barrow Cemetery on Friday following his death at home in Surrey on January 26. 

The 88-year-old, who was husband to the late Gay, was originally from Roose, but moved to London to pursue a career as a sub editor in the newspaper industry. 

He was a senior sub-editor at the News of the World for 26 years from 1962 until 1988, and before that worked for the London Evening News.

Mr Levy’s most memorable headline appeared in the News of the World on April 26, 1970. It read: “Nudist welfareman’s model wife fell for the Chinese hypnotist from the Co-op bacon factory.” 

It still appears in lists of classic headlines. Former colleague John Smyth said: “Monty was a vintage newspaperman, a stickler for accuracy who would strip a report to its bones, and edit it in such a way that readers would follow it to the end. Like a true craftsman, he made it look easy.

“The rest of the sub-editing team were mainly young men in our 20s and 30s. We learned so much from Monty about telling a story as it is. 

“He often talked about Barrow and frequently went back there from his home in Surrey. 

“He never lost his love for the football club, the Bluebirds, even when they were voted out of the Football League after the 1971/72 season in Division Four.” 

Fellow colleague Nobby Clark said: “Bye-bye Monty, legendary Fleet Street wordsmith, mentor and genius creator of classic News of the World headline: 'Nudist welfare man's model wife fell for the Chinese hypnotist from the Co-op bacon factory'." 

The family notice for Mr Levy’s funeral added that he will be “sadly missed by his sister Adelle, sister in law Dorothy, and his nieces, nephews, family and friends”.