Bolton Council remembers BBC journalist Jonathan Ali

Jonathan Ali covered many council meetings in Bolton

Councillors held a minute's silence to honour BBC radio broadcaster and author Jonathan Ali.

Bolton mayor Hilary Fairclough asked those in the chamber to stand in silence before Wednesday's meeting.

Ali spent more than 25 years with the corporation, mostly at BBC Radio Manchester, and was an authority on World War One. He died at Manchester's Christie Hospital on 30 May, aged 50.

A memorial service for him will be held at Bury Parish Church on 6 July.

Mrs Fairclough said before the meeting: "Councillors you will no doubt have seen the very sad news about Jonathan Ali, the BBC reporter who covered Bolton, who sadly died... so would you please stand and join me in a minute's silence."

The council tweeted: "Jon spent many years covering Bolton, and was a friend and respected colleague to many.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Ali's keen interest in World War One saw him write a book about the soldiers from his home village of Hawkshaw near Bury. He was involved in the BBC's coverage of the war's centenary and worked with Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle on his Pages of the Sea beach portraits.

BBC Radio Manchester Editor Kate Squire thanked the council and said: " Jonathan was an outstanding local journalist [and] this honours him in a brilliant way."

The reporter, who attended Bury Grammar School and studied at Oxford University, initially joined BBC Radio Leicester as a reporter before moving to what is now BBC Radio Manchester in 1993.