Alec Burns, the Tynesider who dominated North-East distance running between the two world wars, has died aged 94.

His first Olympic appearance was in 1932 at Los Angeles, where he finished fifth in the 5,000m and 10,000m finals. He repeated this feat four years later in Berlin, when he set the British 10,000m record in front of Adolf Hitler.

Mr Burns died from pneumonia last Wednesday.