WELL-KNOWN Havenstreet resident, former council planning officer, Sunday school teacher, and keen sportsman Colin Attrill, has died aged 86.

Colin was born in Arreton in 1935 and was educated at the village school, then at the County Technical School in East Cowes.

In 1953, he joined the Isle of Wight County Council as an articled pupil to the county planning officer.

For a period, he worked for the former Cowes Urban District Council as chief engineer before moving back to the county council as a planning assistant.

He qualified as a member of the Town Planning Institute, and in 1974 became deputy Island planning officer before taking over the chief planning officer position in 1985, retiring in 1995.

Along the way, he served two years of National Service in the Army Education Corps.

A lifelong Methodist, Mr Attrill had been a Sunday school teacher and took part in youth activities, and for the past 30 years was the organist.

He worked tirelessly for the village of Havenstreet, where he was a resident since 1958 and was involved in many village activities. He was a past chairman and president of Havenstreet Community Association.

An enthusiastic sportsman, he enjoyed sailing, loved golf, and was a long-time member at Newport Golf Club, where he was involved in the design of the new clubhouse as well as being a past captain.

For many years he was a class one football referee.

For ten years, he was an active chairman of the Isle of Wight Society for the Blind, now known as Sight for Wight.

He leaves his wife, Jill, after 63 years of marriage, two sons and their families, including three grandchildren.

Colin died on October 30, and his funeral was held on November 26 at Arreton Methodist Church.