A POPULAR face from BBC's Midlands Today will be hanging up his bow-tie after deciding to retire.

Renowned for his offbeat and quirky reports, John Yates' decision was prompted by ill-health.

He had worked for the BBC since 1979, having entered journalism through newspapers in the late 1960s.

The 56-year-old will be able to enjoy a more leisurely pace of life at home near Stourport-on-Severn, with wife, Chris, who is also a journalist and beloved dog Lottie.

Although he is now a resident of the Wyre Forest, he was born in Essex and brought up in Cheshire.

"My first newspaper was the now defunct Stockport Advertiser, which I joined in 1968," he said.

He quickly became well known for his quirky and charismatic style.

"I seemed to have been branded with that a long time ago," he said.

"I fought against it for some time and then thought, 'what's the point?' It's a bit like an actor being offered a long running season but saying 'I would rather be Hamlet'."

Eventually he went with the flow, leading to a job with BBC Radio Leicester in 1979.

"I ended up doing a desk job, as acting news editor," he said.

"I hated that and they offered me an attachment to do television, which I didn't like, to begin with, but it grew on me. It's a very different sort of medium.

"You've almost got to unlearn everything you have learnt as a print and radio journalist."

He recalled the early assignment that probably typified the offbeat tales that became his niche.

"I remember I had been there about two weeks and they gave me a little story to do about a Gloucester Old Spot pig that had to go on a diet. I think it sort of stuck from there."

His daughter Kate, who is a trainee reporter at the Evening News and Charlotte, aged 22, who is a primary school teacher in Great Witley, will also enjoy spending more time in the company of their dad.

"We're both really proud of him and are pleased that he will be taking things easy and spending lots of time at home," said Kate, aged 24.

As far as the trademark bow-tie was concerned, he revealed why he began wearing it.

"I have rather a large stomach and, if you spill your lunch down a normal tie, you have to get it dry cleaned," he said.

"But, if you spill your lunch down a shirt, you can wash it.

"You can't very well spill your lunch on a bow-tie."