THE one time schoolgirl high hurdles champion who went on the become the first editor of the St Helens Star has lost her battle against cancer.

Lesley Richards began her journalism career with the Leigh Reporter when she was 17 and later went on to become editor for 20 years.

Ahead of that she was poached from the badlands of Leigh to come across to St Helens and work for Malcolm Smith, founder of the St Helens Star.

That was my first encounter with Les, and once you had acclimatised to her broad Leigh twang she was a smashing Lancashire Lass of the old school.

Les helped the fledgling St Helens Star take flight when it launched almost 40 years ago.

She was part of the cavalier crew who set up the Star.

We worked hard and played hard to get the new free paper off the ground and into the hearts of St Helens people.

Our two ‘man’ team, clattering away on typewriters that today would be museum pieces, produced a spectrum of stories drawn highlighting tales of local people’s compassion that became the hallmark of the Star.

When I met Les again many years later, she hadn’t changed one jot… still someone who believed in plain speaking and practised it.

She died after what friends have described as a private and courageous battle with cancer at the age of 62.

Her funeral, to be held on Friday, will be conducted by Malcolm Ryding, who was editor of the Leigh Journal from 1979 to 2001 before becoming a Church of England lay reader.

Present Journal news editor Brian Gomm said: “She voiced her opinion boldly in her weekly comment column – much to the delight of most readers – and was particularly good at writing human interest stories, maybe because she led such an interesting life herself.

“From schoolgirl athletics star, to 60s glamour girl, ambitious reporter and one of the in-crowd, rebel rouser, newspaper editor to avid antiques collector and animal lover.

"She was happiest walking her dog along the canal towpath, tending her garden or spending her lunchtimes in local charity shops. ”

Paying tribute to her, former colleague and Corrie actor Dave Dutton said: “Lesley was a good reporter who had the best interests of the community in her thoughts and words.

“I spoke to her a week or so before she died and she sounded in high spirits because her new chemo treatment seemed to be working better, which made it more of a shock when I learned she had died.

“She was a Lancashire schoolgirl champion hurdler but her illness sadly proved a hurdle too far.”

Gary Brunskill (ex-Leigh Weekly News and now Lancashire Publications) added: "Lesley showed tremendous generosity of spirit. Once after doing her a favour she repaid me by knitting two Ninja Turtle sweaters for my children.

"She was a tremendous girl and editor. When she got a new compnay car the reg. no. began BKB. She told us that meant “Bloody Kind Boss” - it did, and she was. She was a ‘one-off’ and I miss her already."

Geoffrey Shryhane (columnist on Wigan Observer) paid this tribute to Les: “Straight as a die, Les Richards had a great sense of humour and zestful approach to her work. These were her hallmarks.

“Les loved going out for a pie and a pint with the lads. Played cards when Friday was a slack day. And she loved beating the printers in the works at table tennis in the canteen.

“Later she then joined the Journal and her weekly column (Sez Les) gained a loyal band of readers. She wrote what people thought. She sometimes grumbled...and readers loved it...and usually agreed.”

Lesley’s funeral will be at Howe Bridge Crematorium in Atherton on Friday 4 November at 10.45am. Any donations will go to Wigan and Leigh Hospice.