Newsreader Barnes seriously ill after stroke

Former ITN newsreader Carol Barnes is seriously ill in hospital after a suspected stroke.

The 63-year-old, who presented the News At Ten for several years, was admitted to hospital after collapsing at her home in Brighton.

Family members including her 26-year-old son James have rushed to her bedside but friends reportedly fear the worst.

Her agent Knight Ayton Management said: "Carol Barnes is seriously ill and is being cared for at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Her son James and close friends have asked for their privacy to be respected."

A friend told The Mirror: "Carol is still with us at the moment but she is unconscious and fighting for life as we speak.

"We have been told that the doctors treating her are doing everything they can, but they don't think she will pull through. We are devastated. It's come as a tremendous shock for everyone."

Barnes recently presented a documentary about her former co-host Ed Mitchell, who was homeless following a battle with alcohol addiction.