COLLEAGUES and friends are mourning the death of the man affectionately known as Bolton's "Mr Secondary Education".

Mike Kehoe, a champion of high school education in the borough, retired two-and-a-half years ago as head of Smithills School. After a long illness, he died peacefully in Bolton Hospice on Tuesday, aged 63.

Mr Kehoe, who lived in Harwood, had been at the helm of Smithills School for 20 years and also represented colleagues on a number of education organisations.

As the chairman of the Bolton Secondary Headteachers Group, he was strongly critical of the lack of Government funding for local schools.

He hit the national headlines when he became the first headteacher in the country to issue pagers to the parents of truants.

A teacher for 40 years, Mr Kehoe, who was originally from London, began his career teaching science in various schools around the country before taking up the headship at Smithills in 1980.

He was a keen athlete, starting as an English schoolboy hurdler and going on to concentrate on long distance running in his later years. Until last year he was also an enthusiastic member of Bolton United Harriers, serving on the committee and as a past president.

He had been married for 37 years to Mary and the couple had three grown-up children: Lindsay, a teacher in London, David, a policeman, and Stephen, a company consultant. He was also grandfather to Lucy and Christopher.

Despite retiring, Mr Kehoe was keen to retain his links with the school he headed for so long and, with an interest in classical music, was a regular member of the audience at school concerts.

Tributes have come from former colleagues. Bolton's director of education, Margaret Blenkinsop, said: "He was held in high esteem and affection by all who knew him."

A service commemorating his life will take place on Friday at St Anne's Church, Turton, at 12.45pm.

His family have requested donations in lieu of flowers to be made to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, or Bolton Hospice.