Award-winning editor Malcolm Hoddy is to retire next week after 47 years in the industry.

Mr Hoddy, currently Editor-in-Chief of the Keighley News, Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale & Aireborough Observer, said: “I went straight from school on to a weekly paper and, apart from two weeks between jobs, I have been a journalist since then.”

Windhill-born Mr Hoddy started his career on the Pudsey News before leaving to join the Bradford-based Northern News Agency.

After a spell in the North East, he returned to Bradford to work with a freelance agency.

About 26 years ago he joined the Telegraph & Argus, in Bradford, as news editor, before becoming assistant editor and deputy editor.

He was appointed Editor of the Keighley News in April 1994.

Mr Hoddy said: “Keighley has been a truly fantastic place to be a journalist.”

Mr Hoddy will now be focusing on one of his other passions, joining his wife Francine at their cycling training company Safe 2 Cycle - safe2cycle.co.uk.

Newsquest (Bradford) Group Editor, Perry Austin-Clarke, said: “This is the first time I’ve been able to tell Malcolm to ‘get on his bike’ and mean it literally!

“Seriously, though, he’s been a fantastic servant to the Telegraph & Argus, the Keighley News and, latterly, the Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale and Aireborough Observer.

“His immense experience has been a real asset, not least to many young reporters starting out in the business, and that, along with his legendary sense of humour and bottomless bag of anecdotes, will be hugely missed.

“A warning to road users, though, the sight of him coming towards you on his bike in that fluorescent Lycra can be somewhat distracting!”