Former Guardian journalist Chris Boffey, a ‘tenacious’ reporter and ‘great human being’, dies aged 74

Boffey was head of news for four top newspapers, reported for many more, and had a stint in Whitehall

The former Guardian, Observer, Mirror and Telegraph journalist Chris Boffey has been described as a “brilliant raconteur” and “wonderful boss” after his death at the age of 74.

Boffey had a distinguished career as a reporter and served as head of news for four national newspapers. He also crossed the Westminster divide, spending time as a special adviser to the Blair-era education secretary Estelle Morris.

Boffey worked for the Guardian and its then sister title, the Observer, as well as the Sun and its own former sister title, the News of the World.

He was also at the daily and Sunday editions of the Mirror and the Telegraph; as well as working at the Sunday Times, the Daily Star, Today and the Independent on Sunday.

In 2001, he left Fleet Street for a spell – having been headhunted by Tony Blair’s director of communications Alastair Campbell, a longstanding friend, to work for Morris in the Department for Education.

Campbell said: “The same qualities that made Chris a great journalist are what made him a great friend and a great human being. He was curious, intelligent, empathetic and funny, with a real zest for life.

“He was just as good on a tabloid as he was on a broadsheet; just as good on the news desk as he was on the road.

“And though I am not sure he thanked me for it he was also an effective government comms guy when I persuaded him to jump the fence and work for education secretary Estelle Morris. I have lost a good friend and journalism has lost an old school reporter with real values.”

The Mirror and former Guardian journalist Kevin Maguire paid tribute to Boffey, calling him a “brilliant, old-school Fleet Street journalist and raconteur who entertained many a pub with his doorstepping stories. Always had a wry greeting when you met him.”

Former colleagues recalled Boffey’s ability to develop the skills of young journalists working with him.

Anushka Asthana, Channel 4’s US editor, who worked with Boffey during his time as head of news at the Observer, said: “I was devastated to hear the news about Chris. He was an incredible journalist and someone who was absolutely pivotal to my career.

“I learned so much from Chris as he supported me as a specialist reporter, gave me the opportunity to cover the role of deputy news editor and then hired me to become the Observer’s policy editor – joining the lobby for the first time.

“If it wasn’t for Chris I wouldn’t have become a political journalist. He taught me so much about how to be a good reporter and was also just a wonderful boss and friend. He’ll be missed.”

She added: “He was just totally fearless, tenacious, saw a story instantly – as well as being extremely good fun, and making me laugh a lot.”

Boffey built a reputation for breaking stories before he went into news editing. He found Caroline Owens, a former nanny to the serial killers Fred and Rose West, who had told the police of being raped by the couple years before their crimes came to light, and she later gave compelling testimony at trial that helped convict Rose.

He was also the first journalist to expose the sexual offences of Paul Gadd, better known as Gary Glitter. Gadd was later given long jail sentences in the UK and Thailand for offences against young girls.

Boffey was a bon vivant who encouraged younger journalists to get out and speak to people, preferably in a pub. “Never go to lunch on an empty stomach,” was one of his pieces of sage advice.

He was also unafraid of hierarchy. He joined the Sunday Telegraph as chief reporter but became head of news after 18 months. During one editorial conference early in his time at the Telegraph’s Canary Wharf offices overlooking London, Boffey told his editor, Dominic Lawson: “There are a thousand stories in this city – and we haven’t got any of them.”

After a pause, he reassured the editor: “But we will have by the end of the week.”

Boffey, who was from Wythenshawe in Manchester, was head of news at the Sunday Mirror, Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mirror and the Observer before finishing his career as a news editor for the Guardian.

He had started in local newspapers after school, enjoying a spell at the Newcastle Journal before becoming the Daily Star’s district man in the north-east of England at a time when the tabloid was challenging the Mirror and the Sun in a fierce circulation war.

He moved down to London to join the newspaper’s Fleet Street offices in 1982 but was soon headhunted by Eddy Shah’s Today newspaper before going on to join the Sun.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley, a retired headteacher, and his sons Daniel, chief reporter at the Guardian, and Martin, a senior lawyer at the Financial Conduct Authority.