JOHN Herbert, a well-known York cricket and hockey administrator and former player has died in Harrogate District Hospital. He was 60.

Mr Herbert had suffered from leukaemia for five and a half years, but died after contracting meningitis.

Born in Aylesbury, Mr Herbert moved to York in 1967 after being appointed to a special needs teaching post at Tadcaster Grammar School. Later he taught at Horsforth and at Wetherby High School, where he was head of department for special needs.

He joined Acomb Cricket Club, playing for the first team in the York and District Senior Cricket League and was club chairman for a time before moving to York Cricket Club where he played and was a committee member.

Mr Herbert also played in the first team for York Hockey Club in addition to serving on the committee. He acted as press correspondent for York CC and York HC, writing many articles for the Evening Press and also reported for BBC Radio Leeds and York Hospital Radio.

He was secretary of the Northern Cricket Society for a time and press officer for the Yorkshire Cricket League.

In addition to his sporting interests Mr Herbert was a Methodist lay preacher, a member of Wetherby Musical Theatre Group and played the violin in Wetherby High School orchestra.

He moved with his wife and family to Bude in Cornwall in 1991 and taught there for seven years.

They moved back to Wetherby in 1998 and he taught literacy to adults on a part-time basis at Bradford Cathedral Centre. In later years he continued to work as an administrator on the local cricket scene.

Mr Herbert became ill with a mild form of meningitis last Thursday and died yesterday.

He leaves a wife Ann, son Kevin and daughter Cathryn. The funeral service is at Wetherby Methodist Church, Bank Street on Tuesday at 11am.

Updated: 12:32 Thursday, October 31, 2002