A HIGHLY regarded Bury-born journalist is to be remembered with a university investigative reporter prize.

The £4,000 prize is in memory of the distinguished former World In Action editor Ray Fitzwalter, who died last year aged 72 after a battle with cancer.

Mr Fitzwalter attended St Stephen's Primary School, then Derby High School, Bury's first state grammar school.

He developed a reputation as a fearless programme maker over his long career, creating hard hitting documentaries dealing with corruption in business and government, and famously ending the career of home secretary Reginald Maudling after uncovering links with Yorkshire architect John Poulson.

He also covered the slaughter in East Pakistan, which led to the birth of Bangladesh and, as head of current affairs at Granada, commissioned a series of documentaries on pub bombings, leading to the release of the Birmingham Six.

Later, he formed his own production company and became a founding member of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

His wife, Luise Fitzwalter, said: “Ray would be both amazed and slightly embarrassed about the idea but would totally approve.”

He also chaired the Nations and Regions Media Conference for several years and became a visiting professor at the University of Salford.

The first award will be made at 2018’s conference, with the winner being offered access to mentoring in addition to the cash prize which must be spent partly on carrying out future investigations.

The award will be launched on Tuesday March 28 by Mr Fitzwalter's former World In Action colleague Paul Greengrass, who is better known as the director of the Matt Damon Bourne films and Captain Phillips.

It will be launched at this month’s Nations And Regions Media Conference, held at The Lowry at Salford Quays and hosted by the University of Salford.