GEOLOGICAL park founder and former national newspaper journalist, Michael Hanlon, died at the age of 51.

Born in Bristol, Michael experienced tragedy as a youngster following the death of his father, John Taplin.

With his mother, the family moved to Dorset with Michael receiving his education at Bournemouth Grammar School and spent a lot of his childhood along the cliffs of the Jurassic coast in Portland.

He went on to read Earth Sciences at Dundee University, before qualifying as a teacher at Exeter University and later going on to study journalism in Cornwall.

After meeting his future wife, Elena Seymenliyska, during a scuba diving lesson at Clapham swimming baths and the couple went on to have a son named Zachary. Elena was offered a place at Queen’s University Belfast, so Michael worked as a geography teacher at a girls’ school in the city.

He took on a job as a sub-editor at the Irish News before moving to London to work at the Independent. Michael then completed a stint at the Daily Express before joining the Daily Mail as their science editor for a decade before two years at The Daily Telegraph.

He left his career in journalism to pursue his vision of a multi-million pound subterranean geological park in the former Yeolands Quarry in Portland.

The Jurassica project, expected to be completed in 2021, is set to include a recreation of a Jurassic seashore labelled the Jurassic Cove, animatronic marine reptiles and virtual technology.

Mr Hanlon gained support for Jurrasica from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, South Dorset MP Richard Drax, and organisations such as Dorset LEP. The idea was also backed by the Royal Society and the Natural History Museum with Sir David Attenborough serving as a patron for the park.

Michael died on February 9 and is survived by Elena, from whom he separated from, their son, Zachary, and his partner, Alison.