SALFORD-born Bill Roberts, who helped Britain to their only track and field gold medal of the historic 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, has died at his home in Timperley. He was 89.

He was in the 4x400 metres relay team who pulled off a shock victory in the Games which were made famous by American sprinter Jesse Owens and infamous by the Nazi overtones.

The German team, who were third in the relay final with America second, gave the Nazi salute at the presentation ceremony which was watched by Adolf Hitler and a largely partisan and disappointed crowd of 120,000.

Medals awarded at the Games were made out of gold and Roberts was heartbroken when his was stolen in 1978.

He was presented with a replica out of the blue by Princess Anne in 1990 at the British Olympic Association office in London.

Roberts, who later wrote a Manchester Evening News athletics column under the pen-name of Mercury, also won medals in the Commonwealth and Empire Games.

He was born in Tatton Street, Ordsall and ran for the Salford Athletic Club.

He left school at 13 and took a job with a local timber firm. They gave him a fortnight off to go to Berlin but, despite winning his gold medal, he admitted feeling guilty every day he was away.

Different world

When receiving his replacement medal, he said: ''It was a different world then. Life in Salford was rough, though the people were marvellous, the salt of the earth.

''Runners train in the winter now. We had other things to do in the winter - like earn our living.

''When I was picked for the 1938 Empire Games in Australia I didn't know whether or not I was going the day before the boat sailed. I'd been too scared to ask for time off work.''

Roberts won another gold in Sydney but returned home to discover he had lost his job!

He set up his own furniture and antique business at the Old Smithy in Timperley and captained the British team in the 1948 Olympics in London.

Roberts also ran a well-known dance band which performed throughout the northwest.

His collection of medals will be presented for display at a local musuem.

His biography, The Iron In His Soul, is being published by The Parrs Wood Press in May as an official book for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Manchester in July.