BRITISH athlete Roger Bannister has died aged 88.
Bannister became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, after he clocked 3 minutes 59.4 seconds at a sports ground in Oxford on May 6, 1954.
After his athletics career, Bannister became a leading neurologist and was knighted in 1975.
His family confirmed his death in a statement on Sunday.
"Sir Roger Bannister died peacefully in Oxford on 3rd March 2018, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them," the statement read.
"He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends."
Bannister was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011.
Leading the tributes to the former athlete was British Prime Minister Theresa May.
“Sir Roger Bannister was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed,” she said on Twitter.
