Cycling groups in Bristol, England have paid tribute to Chris Hutt, a tireless campaigner for cycling and walking in the city, who was found dead at his home at the weekend.
John Grimshaw, founder of sustainable transport charity Sustrans, described the 59-year-old as "the best person in Britain for designing and sorting out cycle routes".
Hutt was secretary of Bristol-based Cyclebag in the early 1980s – the organisation that was responsible for the Bristol-Bath cyclepath and that gave birth to Sustrans, which was formed to build the first part of the route.
He went on to write and run Green Bristol Blog which was instrumental in opposing council plans to put a bus lane down part of the Bristol-Bath cycle route and kept cyclists informed of cycling and walking route developments.
'It's a terrible loss," said Grimshaw. "He was a loyal and great citizen of Bristol. He was also the best plumber in the West. He plumbed in the four fountains on the (Bristol-Bath) route and when the fountain on Castle Green was first installed he plumbed it so red wine came out of one side and orange out of another."
Bristol Cycling Campaign's website described Hutt as "Bristol's foremost cycling champion and most tenacious cycle campaigner".
A spokesperson for transport blog Bristol Traffic told the Evening Post newspaper: "Chris was not only prepared to argue the technical details of bike/pedestrian paths and crossings, he understood that a junction or stretch of bike lane is meaningless on its own – and that for Bristol to be a city you could live in without needing to drive, everything needed to join up, so you could walk or pedal around the city.
"We shall miss Chris, but we shall also remember him. Everyone who walks or cycles the railway path is benefiting from the work he and others put into building that path, and it exists as a wonderful memorial to everyone who wanted to change our city, to make it a better place."
It is understood Hutt died a natural death at his home in the Clifton area of the city. It is believed he had suffered heart problems.