Former Doncaster journalist suspended after row quits to become bar manager

Robert Sutcliffe was suspended by the Huddersfield Daily Examiner after making personal comments about editor Wayne Ankers and head of news Faye Preston after a dispute over a legal issue about an inquest story he had written.

He subsequently resigned and has now left journalism to become general manager at a bar in Huddersfield called Showtime, newspaper industry website Hold The Front Page, has announced.

The bar and restaurant in Huddersfield town centre offers music, entertainment, sport and quizzes, according to its social media.

A petition calling for Robert - who began his career in Doncaster –to be reinstated was launched by a local councillor.

The dispute between Robert and his employers began after a row about a report of an inquest and saw him make comments on X, formerly Twitter, about his bosses.

Robert said he had since been in touch with Wayne privately to apologise to them both and had received a complimentary message in response about his service to the Examiner.

Speaking to HTFP, Robert said: “I must stress I’ve always had an excellent working relationship with [Faye] and a very enjoyable friendship with no trouble, and Wayne ditto.

“I had an excellent relationship with Wayne and I’ve since tipped him off about stories.”

“I’m sorry for my intemperate remarks to her after but I stuck to my story. It’s one of those silly things.

“I came up from that era where I never complained about anything and everything was sorted out over a pint. I’ve been a dinosaur for a long time and something daft like this was bound to happen at some point.”

He began his career editing the Doncaster Advertiser in 1989 before moving to work at the Barnsley Chronicle, the Bradford Telegraph and Argus and then serving as the Calderdale reporter for the Yorkshire Post for 11 years.

Asked whether he may return to journalism, he said: “I may have taken my pint glass but I haven’t hung up my pen just yet.”