Frank Corless

Posted: May 15th, 2020

With thanks to Chris Johnson, Liverpool Daily Echo

FRANK CORLESS, who was the Daily Mirror’s Merseyside and North Wales district reporter for more than 30 years, has died, aged 79, after a long illness. A veteran Merseyside news journalist, he reported on the region’s biggest stories for decades. In the early days he worked on a St Helens paper, and at the end of his career he did shifts on the Liverpool Daily Post newsdesk.

He leaves wife, Sylvia, a daughter, two sons, and four granddaughters. Mrs Corless said: “Frank loved his job. We’d plan a day out, the office would ring, and I’d be left on the doorstep as he roared off in his car on a job.”

Frank’s long-time Daily Mirror colleague Ian Cameron said: “If you could encapsulate the essence of a Daily Mirror man in terms of dedication and excellence, it would have been Frank Corless. He was a fine reporter who was woven into the Liverpool tapestry of the 60s and 70s of major industrial strikes and the triumphs of Liverpool FC.”

One of Frank’s innate skills was an ability to identify and foster rising talent, colleagues said. One of the stars-to-be whose career he promoted was Colin Myler, who went on to edit the Sunday Mirror, Daily Mirror, and the News of the World.

Colin said: “Frank was one of the first national journalists I encountered in Liverpool. He was one of the Mirror’s district men in the city, and an impressive operator who made a huge impression on me. He was always kind, wise, incredibly supportive and always encouraging. He was a master of Mirror tabloid intros and tight writing style, and I learned a lot from him.”