Gordon Burns is to step down as presenter of BBC North West Tonight after nearly 15 years.

The former Krypton Factor host will stand down in September when he will host a two-hour Sunday morning show broadcast on both Radio Lancashire and Radio Manchester.

Gordon said: "It will be a great wrench to leave the programme I have been proud to present for nearly a decade and a half.

"I've enjoyed it enormously and I regard it as a real privilege to have been in the homes of people across the North West for so many years delivering the news to them.

"I have enjoyed a great relationship with the North West Tonight audience and I think I'll miss that most of all.

Gordon Burns has presented BBC North West Tonight since January 1997.

He has won five Royal Television Society awards for Best UK Regional Presenter (NW) and North West Tonight has won Best Regional News programme six times with him at the helm.

David Holdsworth, Controller, BBC English Regions, said: "The word 'icon' can be overused – but not in this case. Gordon Burns is synonymous with regional broadcasting and viewers in the North West have adopted him as one of their own.

"He will be a hard act to follow."

No decision has been made on a successor. Ranvir Singh will continue to co-present North West Tonight when the programme moves to MediaCityUK in Salford Quays.