HE'S been the voice for the North-East for thousands of people over the past 40 years.

But Alan Robson's popular late night talk show 'Night Owls' on Metro Radio will come to an end at the end of June.

Mr Robson announced the decision on Thursday evening, telling his listeners how 'gutted' he is.

His statement, in full, is as follows: "On a personal note, I'm gutted beyond words, and this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, having built 'Night Owls' and the radio station.

"After 40-odd years of hosting this multi-award winnihg show, 'Night Owls' will air its last episode on this station at the end of the month.

"I've had an incredible career on Metro and I'm grateful to both them and you, the listeners, for sticking by me for so long.

"All good things come to an end, but I'm leaving on good terms. Having known about the changes for a while, we wanted time to round up some of the show's best ever bits to share with you all.

"I want the next couple of weeks to be a huge celebration of all the great stuff we've done and the fun we've had on the show over the years.

"So to the future, who knows? You all know how ambitious I am, and how I love doing what I do, so I'm looking for a new full-time gig...so let's see what comes up.

"Metro's sister station, GHR, has offered me the opportunity to do a weekly Sunday night show from August, and this might be something I choose to do.

"I look forward to leaving on a high, so let's let the next two weeks be full of laughs and great memories.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart! This is not the end, it's a new exciting beginning."