Evangelist preacher Billy Graham who once spoke in Sunderland dies aged 99

Billy Graham at Sunderland's Roker Park in 1984.

The preacher, who visited the city in May and early June of 1984, passed away at his home in North Carolina.

Mr Graham, who had been suffering from cancer, pneumonia and a number of other illnesses, was a counsellor to American presidents and travelled the globe to become perhaps the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history.

Spokesman Mark DeMoss said Mr Graham died at his home in North Carolina on Wednesday morning.

Reverend Graham himself described his visit to Wearside at the time as "the largest religious meeting ever to be held in the North East".

He urged Wearsiders to "get up out of your seats" and find God while preaching at the football ground for eight nights.

Tens of thousands made the pilgrimage to him and a spokesman said: "I can't recall seeing a response like that before."

Billy Graham speaks at Sunderland's Roker Park in 1984.

During his life Mr Graham reached more than 200 million people through his appearances and millions more through his pioneering use of television and radio.

Unlike many traditional evangelists, he abandoned narrow fundamentalism to engage broader society.