A NATIONAL TV presenter who lives in Hampshire has resigned from his ITV duties after 'errors of judgement' on social media.

Alastair Stewart, who lives in Bramdean, near Alresford, was the longest serving male newsreader, starting his career in Southampton with Southern Television in 1976.

But yesterday his Twitter account appeared blank and he said in a statement: "It was a misjudgement which I regret, but it's been a privilege to bring the news to households throughout the UK for the past 40 years."

ITN said Stewart, who is also a patron of Naomi House hospice in Sutton Scotney, had breached editorial guidelines but did not elaborate on the reasons for his departure.

The company's chief executive Anna Mallett added: "We would like to recognise Alastair's contribution as one of the UK's foremost journalists and TV presenters and to thank him for his commitment to delivering high-quality broadcast news over many years."

In recent years, the 67-year-old was best recognised as the lead presenter of ITV News.

Michael Jermey, director of news and current affairs at ITV, said: "Alastair has been a long-standing, familiar figure to viewers of ITV News, both reporting and presenting with distinction. We wish him the very best for the future."

Stewart was one of the last journalists to interview Lord Mountbatten before he was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.