BBC News presenter George Alagiah has died aged 67

BBC News presenter George Alagiah has died aged 67.

He was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2014 and returned to presenting the following year. He continued to present for the BBC when not receiving treatment.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie said: “Across the BBC, we are all incredibly sad to hear the news about George. We are thinking of his family at this time.

“George was one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation who reported fearlessly from across the world as well as presenting the news flawlessly.

“He was more than just an outstanding journalist, audiences could sense his kindness, empathy and wonderful humanity. He was loved by all and we will miss him enormously.”

Born in Sri Lanka before moving to Ghana and then England in childhood, George joined the BBC as a foreign affairs correspondent in 1989 and then became Africa correspondent.

A multi-award-winning journalist, George won accolades for his reports on the famine and war in Somalia in the early 1990s, and was nominated for a Bafta in 1994 for covering Saddam Hussein’s genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq.

Later, George presented the BBC One O’Clock News, Nine O’Clock News and BBC Four News, before being made one of the main presenters of the BBC News at Six in 2003.

He had two sons with his wife of 40 years, Frances Robathan, and three grandchildren.