THE Lyme Regis-born publicist who worked for Sir Paul McCartney for over 15 years, has been given a ticket to ride by the former Beatle.

Geoff Baker, 48, who went to the old Woodroffe grammar school and did a spell with the Lyme Regis News before becoming a showbiz reporter, was officially let go by Sir Paul at the weekend amid speculation of a rift between Mr Baker and Sir Paul's new wife, Heather Mills-McCartney.

Mr Baker was not available for comment to the News this week, but details of his acrimonious split with Britain's biggest musician were well documented in the national press.

The Mirror reported that Mr Baker met Sir Paul in 1989 when he was sent on tour with the ex-Beatle and his then wife, Linda.

The Mirror said: "The couple instantly took a shine to this laid-back, hippyish, chain-smoking vegetarian and insisted on keeping him at their side."

Over the next 15 years, Geoff Baker travelled the world with Sir Paul and became a close friend of the McCartney family, including the three children, Stella, Mary and James.

But things took a turn for the worse last year when Sir Paul publicly fired Mr Baker after he allegedly tipped off a photographer about the musician's visit to the magician David Blaine, who at the time was spending 40 days without nourishment in a plastic box hanging over the river Thames.

Sir Paul later retracted the sacking, saying it was a joke, but the seeds of doubt had been sown about the relationship between Sir Paul and Mr Baker.

Spectators say that under the influence of his new wife, Sir Paul has changed and that to the new 'showbiz' McCartneys, Mr Baker represents an old way of life.

This week Sir Paul vehemently denied that Mr Baker's departure had anything to do with his wife.

He said: "I find it very sad that after years of friendship, my publicist Geoff Baker and I are parting."

Mr Baker said last year: "It's been a blast and that's what it's meant to be.

"It's only rock'n'roll."