Father killed in Essex crash had just celebrated his 80th birthday

A driver who was killed in a crash on a roundabout had just celebrated his 80th birthday, his family has revealed in a heartfelt tribute.

Brian Thomas died after he was involved in a single-vehicle collision at the Marks Farm roundabout on the edge of Braintree in Essex between 3am and 3.45am on Thursday, 29 February.

His daughter said he was known for his "unique, fun and bantering sense of humour" as well as being "caring, thoughtful and persevering".

She added: "His intelligence made him a good and respected teacher, of maths in particular, and he was good at maintaining silence in the classroom.

"He once ran a 100-mile race, as well as numerous marathons in South Africa, and won a silver medal in the well-known Comrades marathon.

"This regime led to him attending the gym almost six days a week after he retired from running.

"He loved to eat out at Toby Carvery and his children referred to him as ‘Papa Bear’."

Mr Thomas, who also had a son, was also talented at crossword competitions, loved classical music and was keen chess and golf player.

Essex Police are investigating the crash and are appealing for people to hand in dash cam footage or CCTV footage of the area between midnight and 3.45am on 29 February.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know