Geoffrey Hayes, host of children’s TV show Rainbow, dies aged 76

Hayes presented Rainbow between 1974 to 1992

Geoffrey Hayes, the host of children's TV show, Rainbow, has died of pneumonia aged 76.

The actor and presenter died in hospital surrounded by his family, according to his manager, Phil Dale. In a statement, Dale said: "It is with great sadness that the family announce that Geoffrey passed away from pneumonia in hospital with his wife, Sarah, and son, Tom, by his side. "The family would like to express their thanks to the many fans over the years as it always gave Geoffrey so much pleasure to know that he and his Rainbow team had given so much fun to TV and theatre audiences over the years." The ITV show ran for more than 1,000 episodes and featured famous puppet characters Zippy, George and Bungle.