A senior TV journalist who started out on the Halifax Courier in the 1950s has died aged 77.

Robert Hargreaves was one of a talented team of television journalists who launched ITN’s News at Ten in 1967.

Mr Hargreaves became best known to viewers as the Washington correspondent, but also served as foreign editor during the bulletin’s glory days in 1970s.

His former editor, Sir David Nicholas said: “Robert was key in the expansion of ITN’s foreign coverage, which corresponded with the growing authority of News at Ten and the development of satellite news gathering.”

After doing his national service, he joined the Courier as a cub reporter where he studied shorthand alongside Bernard Ingham, later to become Margaret Thatcher’s secretary.

He progressed to the then Manchester Guardian and Reuters before arriving at ITN in 1962.

His brother was Roger Hargreaves, who later found fame as the creator of the Mr Men children’s books.

Mr Hargreaves is survived by his second wife and by the two sons of his first marriage.