Pale Rider
Veteran
Described as wearing pink shorts. Had me thinking of what, in the seventies, we called hot pants..
Judging by the photographs they were trousers that were down to the knee.
My OH would call them pedal pushers but I suppose the idea of a man in pink 'hot pants' sells more papers.
Mail and Telegraph reports were, word/word identical so presumably syndicated from the local rag??
The pic credit gives you the best clue - Daily Echo/Solent News.
The original story looks like a joint production between the Southampton Daily Echo and the Solent News news agency - the latter may have taken the pic.
Solent News then flog the package to the nationals.