Cricket commentator and Exmouth resident Peter Roebuck has died at the age of 55 after falling six storeys from a hotel window.

Mr Roebuck, who owned a house in the Avenues, died at the Southern Sun Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, where he was staying while covering the Test series between South Africa and Australia for Australian television.

South African police have confirmed that Mr Roebuck took his own life, however they have refused to comment on reports that he was being questioned over alleged sexual offences shortly before his death.

Mr Roebuck’s career as a journalist followed a successful career as a county cricketer, playing for Somerset for 17 years, including several as captain, before going on to captain Devon in minor counties cricket.

He also turned out for Sidmouth Cricket Club in 1992, before moving to Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club, for whom he played regularly until 2001, and made occasional appearances until around 2004.

He was given a suspended jail sentence in 2001 for assaulting three South African teenagers he had been coaching at his former home in Taunton, after which he spent most of his time in Australia and South Africa, becoming an Australian citizen.

An inquest has been opened into Mr Roebuck’s death, and police investigations are ongoing.