Tributes have been paid to former BBC and ITN newsreader Peter Sissons following his death at the age of 77.
A statement from his management issued on Wednesday said: “We are sad to announce that Peter Sissons, the former presenter on ITN, Channel 4 and the BBC, died peacefully last night in Maidstone Hospital, Kent.
“His wife and three children were with him and wish to pass on their thanks to the hospital staff who were so caring and fought gallantly to save him to the end.”
BBC Director General Tony Hall led the tributes, describing Peter as “one of the greatest television figures of his time”.
BBC news presenter Simon McCoy also paid his respects, tweeting: “Very sorry to hear of the death of former colleague Peter Sissons. A great journalist and a fine presenter at ITN and the BBC. #RIP”
Piers Morgan described him as a “splendidly combative and amusing man”.
Radio City presenter Mick Coyle took the opportunity to share an anecdote from when the newsreader worked on the buses in Liverpool.
“Before he was a journo he was a ticket collector on Liverpool buses,” he tweeted.
“People would ask ‘Does this bus stop at the Pierhead?’ He’d reply ‘Well if it doesn’t we’ll all get wet’.”
Peter retired from broadcasting in 2009.
In 2011 he published his autobiography in which he criticised the BBC for what he saw as its left-wing bias.
He is survived by his wife Sylvia and three children Kate, Michael and Jonathan.