INTREPID war reporter John Simpson CBE has spoken during a visit to Southampton of his pride at the way BBC bosses have stood up to the government in the furore over the Iraq War dossiers.

Famously the first man into Kabul, Afghanistan, during the US-led conflict there, Mr Simpson was in the city yesterday to accept the honorary title Doctor of Southampton University as part of its graduation celebrations.

The legendary newsman and author told the Daily Echo he was sure the BBC would be vindicated in the row over its reports that the government "sexed-up" intelligence information on Iraq before presenting it to the public.

Mr Simpson, 59, said: "I do think the BBC's reporting will be shown to be absolutely right and accurate. I am proud of the BBC for standing up to the pressure exerted on us."

He added that he thought the row actually benefited the corporation's reputation.

"We are starting to get a good record of standing up to political pressure without bowing down. I think it's great and I'm very proud of the BBC."

The support of the famously outspoken reporter will come as a welcome boost to under-fire BBC bosses - including chairman Gavyn Davies, a former Southampton stockbroker - as they prepare to face a judicial inquiry into the matter.

Mr Simpson himself is no stranger to tense times, as the packed audience in the Nuffield Theatre heard in his citation for the graduation honour.

It read: "For more than 30 years, John Simpson has travelled the world to bring us eyewitness accounts of the most significant events of our time. In one of his books he writes: 'I have reported from 103 countries, interviewed 122 emperors, monarchs, presidents, dictators, prime ministers and other assorted despots and loonies; and witnessed 30 wars, uprisings and revolutions'. And since that was written in 1999 we may assume that some of those figures should now be adjusted upwards for inflation. His work has brought him a clutch of BAFTAs and awards from the Royal Television society and he was awarded the CBE in the 1991 Gulf War Honours List."

Mr Simpson, who already holds similar honours from Dundee, Nottingham and De Montfort universities, said receiving Southampton's was like "My birthday and Christmas had come at once".

"It feels fantastic," he said. "It's a great honour".