Inventor of wind-up radio Trevor Baylis dies aged 80

Inventor Trevor Baylis, who created the wind-up radio, has died aged 80, the manager of his company has confirmed.

David Bunting, who runs Trevor Baylis Brands, said he died of natural causes at his home in Eel Pie Island, Twickenham on Monday morning having been ill for a long time.

He had been seriously debilitated, having suffered from Crohn's disease, Mr Bunting said.

Mr Baylis,who was awarded an OBE in 1997 and a CBE in 2015, has no living relatives.

"He made an enormous difference as the sole inventor in this company and did a tremendous amount to publicise their role and the importance of the inventions," Mr Bunting said.

Mr Baylis was inspired to invent the wind-up radio in 1991 after he saw a television programme about the spread of AIDS in Africa.

He believed the invention would help halt the disease by making educational radio broadcasts accessible to more people.

His first working prototype ran for 14 minutes and was featured in 1993 on the BBC programme Tomorrow's World.

The following year BayGen Power Industries was set up in Cape Town, South Africa employing disabled workers to manufacture the Freeplay Wind Up Radio.

In 1996, the radio won the the BBC Design Award for Best Product and Best Design and Mr Baylis was invited to a state banquet with Her Majesty The Queen where he met Nelson Mandela.

He was also awarded the Presidential Gold Medal by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.