 He had a brief spell with the "Daily Mirror" in 1972 before returning to "The Sun" as deputy chief sub-editor, first with the news desk and later in the features department.He left "The Sun" in 1974 to write his first book and to take a degree in politics at the University of Sussex.He worked his way through university with part-time sub-editing jobs at the "Brighton Argus", BBC Radio Brighton, the "Sunday Mirror" and "Reveille".