George Alagiah: 'Brilliant broadcaster' dies aged 67

George Alagiah, described as one of the BBC's "most highly-respected journalists", has died aged 67.

As a presenter and journalist for BBC News for more than thirty years George reported from around the world - often from areas affected by war.

His reports for Newsround, from countries such as Afghanistan and Rwanda, helped explain how children are affected by conflict.

Many people have paid tribute following a statement from George's agent saying the broadcaster died peacefully "surrounded by his family and loved ones".

George presented the BBC News at Six on TV for more than 20 years.

Before then he was an award-winning foreign correspondent, travelling to countries such as Rwanda and Iraq, often at times of conflict.

He won awards for his reports from Somalia during the early 1990s, explaining how ordinary people were being affected by famine and war in the country.

In 1994 George was nominated for a Bafta for his story about the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

In the same year he was named Amnesty International (a charity that aims to protect people's rights) journalist of the year for coverage of the civil war in Burundi, East Africa, and was the first BBC journalist to report on mass killings in Rwanda.

In 1994 the journalist worked with Newsround to report on the conflict from Afghanistan, helping viewers to understand more about what was happening in the country at that time.

In 2014 he filmed a special report for Newsround from Rwanda marking 20 years since the genocide - a horrific event in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed.

As a child George experienced life in a country caught in conflict

Born in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo in 1955, his family moved to Ghana in West Africa when he was just six years old to escape violence in Sri Lanka. They later moved to England when he was 11.

In the past George spoke about experiencing racism at boarding school in England, as one of the only boys there who wasn't white.

At Durham university he met his wife, Frances Roberthan, with whom he has two children.

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.

"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."

BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson tweeted: "A gentler, kinder, more insightful and braver friend and colleague it would be hard to find."

Former BBC North American editor Jon Sopel wrote: "Tributes will rightly be paid to a fantastic journalist and brilliant broadcaster - but George was the most decent, principled, kindest, most honourable man I have ever worked with. What a loss."

Journalists from outside the BBC also praised him with LBC's Sangita Myska speaking of his influence on British Asian reporters.

She said: "Growing up, when the BBC's George Alagiah was on TV my dad would shout "George is on!".

We'd run to watch the man who inspired a generation of British Asian journalists. That scene was replicated across the U.K. We thank you, George. RIP xx"

Radio 4 presenter Mishal Husain said George was "the first Asian foreign correspondent I had seen on British television.

"He inspired so many of us," she added.

The presenter died of bowel cancer after being diagnosed with the disease in 2014.

During his career George interviewed many famous world figures including then South African President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

He received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to journalism in 2008.