[1][2] He covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Lebanese Civil War, the siege of Sarajevo and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[1][3] Stoddart was born in Morpeth, Northumberland in November 1953.

[4] He began his career covering local news for the Berwick Advertiser, Northumberland and John Pick's Yorkshire Press agency, York.

He continued his work as a photojournalist based in London and from there covered national and international stories including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Lebanese Civil War, the siege of Sarajevo and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[1][3] Stoddart died from cancer on 17 November 2021, at the age of 67.