A former Keighley head teacher has died after a short battle against cancer.

Anthony Gleeson, known as Tony), who was head at Holy Family School between 1974 and 1979, died at home aged 67.

Mr Gleeson, pictured left, moved at the age of 35, with his family, from Jarrow, near Newcastle, in 1974 to take up his position as head teacher at Holy Family School.

He took up the position at a time when the school system was in a state of tremendous change and Holy Family was making the transition from a secondary modern to a comprehensive.

During his time at Holy Family he was responsible for introducing computer studies into the school and actively pursued his belief in equal opportunities for girls.

His widow Mrs Joan Gleeson told the Keighley News: "He was very keen that girls had equal opportunities at a time when they only did maths up to the 4th form, and he fought hard to establish new subjects, like computers, which was unusual in the mid 70s.

"He wanted them all to do well at what they were good at. He was well known for being fair.

"He had a lot of commitment and a lot of enthusiasm. Teaching was what he loved best and he was very sad when he left."

His children Stephen, Paul, Helen, Catherine, Anthony and Veronica all studied at the school, and almost as a testimony to his love of teaching four of the six followed him into the profession.

They include among them daughters who are the Dean of Research Science and Engineering at Manchester University and the deputy head of a primary school in the New Forest, and sons who are the head of art at a Milton Keynes school and a teacher in London.

Mr Gleeson left Holy Family in 1979 on health grounds, but always liked to catch up with his ex-students when he bumped into them around the town.

Sean Gilligan, deputy head at Holy Family School, paid tribute to the former head. He said: "He was very clever and intelligent and he was a lovely, lovely man."