David Burns: BBC Radio Humberside presenter to leave station

David Burns' "fearless style" meant he had held local authorities to account, said the head of BBC Yorkshire

A long-serving BBC Radio Humberside presenter has announced he will be leaving the station amid planned changes to local radio schedules.

David Burns, known to many listeners as Burnsy, presents on weekdays between 10:00-14:00 BST and also commentates on Hull City AFC matches for the station.

In a statement on Twitter, he said the company had told him he "won't be needed as a presenter".

The head of BBC Yorkshire called him a "unique and special broadcaster".

Burns has been a familiar voice on the station for more than 20 years, firstly as part of BBC Radio Humberside's football coverage before starting the weekday Burnsy Show.

The presenter said he was "eternally grateful for the opportunity", adding: "I've loved every minute, though the last few months have been unnecessarily painful."

"I think I made a difference and I couldn't have done it without you as an audience," he said.

"Your contributions, your ideas, your passions for the area made it the multi-award winning show it is."

'Fearless style'

Katrina Bunker, BBC Head of Yorkshire, said the presenter "loves where he lives, and giving local people a voice".

"His fearless style means he's held local authorities to account and deservedly won a number of awards for his broadcasting over the years," she said.

"He'll be missed greatly by listeners when he leaves us in summer - but I'm sure he won't be a stranger."

She said the presenter "may well be back in the future in our sports coverage".

The BBC's plan for local radio is for more programmes to be networked across several stations after 14:00 on weekdays and through weekends.

It would mean the BBC produces 20 afternoon programmes across England and 10 programmes in the evening.

Discussing the wider plan, a BBC spokesperson said: "Our aim is to achieve a better balance between our local online and broadcast services at a time when millions of people increasingly turn to their mobile first for news and information.

"The changes see no reduction in funding or overall staffing levels across our 39 local bases in England."