At the peak of his business Teesside-based court reporter Peter Holbert could make more than £5,000 per week (in 1970s money!).

At the end of January 2025, at the age of 84, he will be covering his last case. He says in recent years demand for his services has almost completely dried up from both local and national media.

He says that both Northern Echo publisher Newsquest and Teesside Gazette owner Reach no longer have budgets for freelance contributors. His last regular client, ITV regional franchise Tyne Tees, stopped using his services at the end of 2024.