Veteran newsreader Peter Sissons is calling time on his 45-year career, he revealed. The 66-year-old, thought to be Britain's longest serving news presenter, said he was leaving the BBC in the summer to concentrate on his memoirs. He told the Daily Mirror: "I do feel I'm still on top of my game and I still enjoy it - I don't know how much I'll miss it until I stop but I don't think I'll be sitting in a darkened room." Sissons has read the news on all of TV's main terrestrial bulletins, including the BBC's Ten O'Clock News, and ITN's News at One. He also helped launch Channel 4 News. He said: "The longest newscaster before me was Dickie Baker, who did the BBC news for 28 years. Some people think I am still working for ITN, even though I left 20 years ago." The married father of three, who was born in Liverpool, is currently a presenter on BBC News 24. He joined ITN in 1964 after graduating from Oxford University. In 1969 he was appointed ITN's news editor, becoming industrial correspondent a year later, and industrial editor in 1972. His first role as a news anchor came in 1978, when he began presenting ITN's News At One. Sissons joined the BBC in 1989 as presenter of Question Time, as well as joint presenter of the Six O'Clock News.
