Cameron hails ‘great Briton’ Chris Chataway

Chataway, who acted as a pacemaker to help Roger, now Sir Roger Bannister, become the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier in 1954, died aged 82 at around 7am yesterday in St John’s Hospice in north-west London having suffered from cancer for two- and-a-half years, his son Mark said.

Mr Cameron said: “Chris was a rare politician in that he enjoyed such extensive, wide-ranging and successful careers both before and after he served in Parliament.”

A former 5,000 metres world record-holder, the athlete’s interest in keeping fit stayed with him as his life progressed, and his son said that up until a couple of weeks ago he was on his exercise bike every morning.

Sir Christopher was also a Conservative politician and broadcaster who had worked as a newscaster and reporter on Panorama. He first became an MP in 1957 and served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary and junior Education Minister.

After a break from Parliament in the 1960s he returned to politics and served as Minister for Posts and Telecommunications under Edward Heath.

He retired from politics in 1974 and embarked on a business career. He is survived by his sons Mark, Matthew, Adam, Charles, Ben, his daughter Joanna, his wife Carola and his former wife Anna.