TONIGHT local BBC TV legend Harry Gration presents his last Look North.

As The Press reported last week, the presenter, who went to St Peter's School in York, is leaving the broadcaster after 42 years.

Harry will have his last evening on the iconic red sofa after 6.30pm tonight.

He joined the BBC in 1978 and has presented Look North since 1982. Following his decision to leave, his co-presenter, Amy Garcia, will continue as lead presenter.

The Director of BBC England, Helen Thomas, said Harry was a “broadcasting legend”, adding: “He is a true professional, a Yorkshire treasure and it has been a privilege to work alongside him.”

Harry said: "For the past four decades, it's been a privilege to meet the people of the county I love. Make no mistake, these good folk are the heartbeat of the programme.

“I've worked with the best of the best and leave Look North in the good hands of Amy and the team, although I don't know how Paul Hudson is going to cope without me checking his forecasts! Seriously though, I'll miss my good old mate.

“I'm looking forward to some new broadcasting adventures and some special time with my family and a certain one year old!"

Harry, who is Yorkshire born and bred, began filing match reports for the BBC while working as a history teacher in the mid ‘70s. He joined BBC Radio Leeds as Sports Editor in 1978, before going on to commentate on the Olympics and Paralympics and present ionic shows such as Grandstand, Sportsnight and even Match of the Day.

He has covered nine Olympic Games for the BBC and won two Royal Television Society awards for his sports documentaries: 'White Rose in Africa' in 1992 and 'Dickie Bird: A Rare Species' in 1997. He won the prestigious RTS Best Presenter award twice.

Many will remember Harry fondly for his inspiring charity work, which saw him undertake several exhausting challenges for BBC Children in Need and BBC Sport Relief, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes and cheered on in person by thousands of viewers. These included pushing a sofa around Yorkshire and walking 120 miles with one leg strapped to weather presenter Paul Hudson.