John Yates, a radio and television reporter in the Midlands, has died.  This is the text of the BBC announcement of his death:

John Yates
June 10 2005

One of the Midlands' best known and respected reporters died yesterday.

John Yates spent 12 years in print journalism before joining BBC Radio Leicester as a producer.

He brought his unique style of reporting to BBC Midlands Today in 1986, where he stayed until heart problems forced him to step down in 2004.

A distinct presence on the programme, John quickly established himself as the 'And finally…' reporter on the programme, specialising in those quirky pieces to camera that often bring the show to its finale.

Noted for wearing a dicky-bow tie, John's wry sense of humour perfectly suited many of the lighter reports for which he is probably best remembered.

He had a rare off-day during a report from a local winery where, perched on a stool, he sampled the deceptively strong brew. Sipping from the glass throughout the ten takes it took to complete the piece, John promptly fell off the stool at the end.

Chas Watkin, Editor of BBC Midlands Today, says John will be sorely missed: "John was one of the best journalists I've worked with.

"He was known for the quirky, funny pieces towards the end of Midlands Today and he did them better than anyone.

"But he was also an all-round journalist who could turn his hand to any story, any time.

"He was also a great person to work with. One of the many brilliant things about him was that he would always tell me what he thought was good - and more importantly bad - about the programme.

"One of the last things he worked on for BBC Midlands Today was our search for the Greatest Midlander, which generated a massive response from the audience - largely thanks to John crafting superb pieces about various Great Midlanders.

"There were tears in the newsroom yesterday about his passing, which proves just how much he was loved - and will be missed - by colleagues. Many viewers have also been contacting us to say what a great reporter he was.

"One email read: 'What a man! I was lucky enough to speak to him once - a very warm, caring and helpful man'."