Robert Banks Stewart dead: Bergerac creator and Doctor Who writer dies at 84

Stewart wrote two stories for Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom and The Terror of the Zygons

Robert Banks Stewart died from cancer (PA)

The television writer Robert Banks Stewart, famous for creating the British TV series Bergerac and writing episodes of Doctor Who, has died aged 84.

The TV veteran died at home on Thursday after suffering from cancer, his son Andy Stewart confirmed.

Born in Edinburgh in 1931 Stewart, began his career as a journalist going on to become a well-known figure in the television industry.

Stewart wrote two stories for Doctor Who in the mid-seventies: The Seeds of Doom and The Terror of the Zygons.

Starring Tom Baker as the Doctor, both episodes are now regarded by fans as classics.

Stewart also created the Jersey-based detective series Bergerac, in which the protagonist was a divorced loner and recovering alcoholic who liked to drive his vintage sports car while solving crimes.

John Nettles played the lead role and it was an instant success for the BBC running for 10 years between 1981 and 1991.

Shoestring, starring Trevor Eve in 1979, was a further hit for Stewart, dominating Sunday night TV for two years, gaining the number one position in the weekly national TV ratings and being nominated for a Bafta.

Stewart was also involved in the opening series of HE Bates' The Darling Buds of May, which gained one of the highest ratings for a new series in the history of British TV.

It has been said he was given the final casting vote for Catherine Zeta-Jones to play Pop Larkin's daughter.

Stewart is survived by his three sons from his second marriage and a daughter from his first.

Additional reporting by Press Association