 He was educated at Dagenham County High School (1957–63) and, aged 17, was hired by the "Barking and Dagenham Advertiser".After serving a three-year indentureship he joined the "Lancashire Evening Telegraph" in Blackburn as a sub-editor before spending 18 months as a sub-editor at the Manchester office of the "Daily Mail".In 1969, he entered Fleet Street as a news sub-editor on "The Sun", which had just been acquired by Rupert Murdoch.