Manchester radio presenter James Stannage dies, aged 76

Manchester radio host James Stannage has died at the age of 76, his family has confirmed.

Stannage passed away following a year-long battle with cancer on Monday, his son Darren confirmed in a public post on Facebook, in which he described his father as "someone who meant so much to so many people in Manchester".

The post continued: "He died peacefully this morning at MRI after battling cancer for over a year. Listening to The Who, he was surrounded by people that loved him and died at 11:52am.

"Such a remarkable time as that was the Radio Station that made him a legend in Manchester to so many people who grew up listening to him on Piccadilly and later on Key103.

"There will be so many stories and memories that people will have. I will miss him so much as I know so many people will and am very lucky to have been able to have called him my Dad. X."

Stannage began his radio career in the 1970s and soon became known for hosting late-night phone-in shows, first on Piccadilly Radio and later on Piccadilly Radio's Key 103 (now Hits Radio).

An outspoken, often controversial radio host, Stannage left Key 103 in July 2005 after almost 10 years at the station. At the time of his departure, Key 103 programme director, Anthony Gay, said in a statement that Stannage's "challenging and direct style... has entertained people in the north-west for almost 10 years and has always courted controversy".