British children's author Richard Kidd has drowned in the Philippines, the Foreign Office said today.

The 56-year-old, from Gateshead, was sucked into a strong current at Dunsulan Falls in Bataan, west of the capital Manila, on Saturday.

He was on holiday with his girlfriend Ailsa Lamble and her father, who tried to resuscitate him for nearly an hour before he was declared dead.

Kidd's first book was the self-illustrated Almost Famous Daisy! which was nominated for the Mother Goose Award for the most exciting newcomer to British children's book illustration. He went on to write several more children's books, including a series of thrillers.

He was also a respected artist who had exhibited all over the world including the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco.

Born and raised in Tyneside, Kidd studied fine art at Newcastle University and went on to exhibit at several galleries including the Stour Gallery in Warwickshire.

His brother Geoffrey Kidd, 52, said Richard had been was a "born artist" whose teenage daughters Rachel and Daisy "were everything to him".

He said: "Richard was always a very adventurous person, what with his climbing and outdoor activities. It stimulated his art work.

"He wrote about 10 children's books. They were quite a part of his life. He was a great children's person."