We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again.

An obituary in the Ilkley Gazette read: “CUNLIFFE John left his Ilkley home in a deluge of rain on Thursday, September 20, never to return.

“Even the skies wept for John the gifted creator of ‘Postman Pat’, ‘Rosie and Jim’ and author of many earlier published collections of poetry and picture story books for children.”

It continued: “John’s last poetry collection, significantly entitled ‘Dare You Go’ has now come to fruition for John has dared to go and he has gone.”

John’s cause of death is not yet known.