Cooking the crooks

Trailblazer in doorsteppings caught on camera defied attacks & threats

- BY NICOLA METHVEN

HE was the pioneering, fearless journalist who confronted criminals on camera on their doorstep, earning him plenty of accolades, but also many bruises.

Roger Cook thought nothing of kicking down doors and having a scuffle as he faced down the unsuspecting stars of his investigative shows, most famously The Cook Report.

The trailblazing TV reporter, who has died aged 83, often knew what they had been up to as they had been secretly filmed beforehand, boasting about it.

But over the years it earned "The Taped Crusader" 12 death threats.

Announcing his passing "with great sadness", his family said he died peacefully on Saturday after a short illness.

Yesterday they added: "Alongside a distinguished and award-winning career in journalism, Roger was first and foremost a beloved husband and father. He will be deeply missed by all of us."

Born in New Zealand, Cook was brought up by his parents in Australia, where he began his career at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, moving to London in 1968.

He joined BBC Radio 4's The World At One as a reporter before presenting investigative programme Checkpoint, which ran for 12 years from 1973.

He was poached by ITV in 1985 to make The Cook Report, which was a TV version of his long-running radio hit.

It made for highly entertaining viewing, running for 12 years before the axe fell in 1999. Cook's run-ins with criminals and conmen ran for 16 series over 120 episodes.