ERIC Halsall, the voice behind the surprise success of "One Man and His Dog'' on television, has died aged 77.

Burnley-born Mr Halsall became a famous face on TV, respected for his expert knowledge and commentary of sheepdog trials.

He died in Burnley General Hospital, where he had been a patient for a month. He leaves a wife, Rita.

A funeral service at St John's Church, Worsthorne, on Monday at 12.40pm will be followed by cremation at Burnley.

The co-presenter of the BBC2 television series, Phil Drabble, 82, will not be able to attend but has expressed his sadness at the death of his TV colleague and friend. Among those who will be there is the original producer of the show, Philip Gilbert.

Widely known and respected as one of nature's gentlemen, Mr Halsall had written several books on sheepdogs and country subjects, was the Farmers' Guardian sheepdog correspondent from 1959, a member of the International Sheep Dog Society since 1949, a director for 21 years and winner of its Wilkinson Sword Trophy Award, a judge at national trials and founder secretary and more recently treasurer of the Holme Sheep Dog Trials Association. He was also an official of the Lonk Sheep Society and his latest book was about the tough northern sheep breed.

He had been secretary of the Derbyshire Gritstone Sheep Breeders Society and was a member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists.

But his first journalistic efforts were writing a Scouts column for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Saturday night "Pink''.

He started a Scout troop at St Catherine's Church, Burnley, later becoming county press secretary.

Born in the Brunshaw area of Burnley, he was a keen footballer and had a trial at Turf Moor, but he went on to work in an estate office doing mostly agricultural surveying. It was the start of a close link with farmers and the countryside.

Turned down by the RAF on health grounds, he joined the Burnley Express, first in advertising and then as a writer. His Country Notes column ran for more than 30 years. In the 1950s he began working for the National Coal Board as farm manager responsible for the maintenance of buildings on 16 farms covering 3,500 acres in Lancashire.

Mr Halsall, who lived in Red Lees Road, Cliviger, was a member of many local organisations including being president of the Burnley branch of the National Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Deerplay Inn licensee Jim Cropper, who has been involved in the sheep dog trials scene for many years, said: "He was very well known and very much respected, always happy to have a word and a laugh. He will be sadly missed.''

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