Company founder dies at 84

The founder of the Oldham steeplejack company Delta has died aged 84.

Herbert Bird, from Nottingham, left school with no qualifications at 14 and became an apprentice bricklayer.

His career began at 27 with Furse Steeplejacks in Nottingham, and he became Manchester branch manager in 1968 before founding Delta. The headquarters is in Wrigley Street, off Greenacres Road.

Delta now has divisions in Scotland, and the United Arab Emirates.