A POPULAR businessman from Chard has died aged 70.

David Searle ran D & S Searle butcher’s shop with his wife Santina before owning Davina Private Car Hire, driving people to airports and other destinations.

He died at home and leaves behind his wife Santina, daughters Katrina and Tracey, and four grandchildren.

Santina said: “He was quite a reserved man but he was always willing to help anybody with his taxi driving and would go the extra mile to help them when they got to the airport.

“He was a wonderfully helpful and considerate person and, in the butcher’s shop, if he had to deliver 20 miles he would do it.”

David was born in Tatworth and was a keen member of Chard Wheelers in his younger days, thinking nothing of cycling to Weymouth and back in an afternoon.

He started his working life aged 11 helping out at the V. Purse & Son butcher’s shop in South Chard on Saturday mornings and worked full-time there when he left school.

David and Santina bought the business in 1979 and traded as D & S Searle until 1998.

He then started the semi-retirement private car hire business, which utilised his lifelong love of driving.

His family said he loved the job as he could meet lots of interesting people and chat with them for hours. He also had a passion for gardening and gave many friends and family his produce.

David was an active member of Ilminster Lions Club for about 25 years until about three years ago and served a term as president.

He enjoyed numerous foreign holidays, including to Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa and Canada. He also had a very active social life and a very wide circle of friends.

Some £1,100 was raised in David’s memory following his funeral.

The family gave £300 to St Margaret’s Hospice and £800 to the Beacon Centre at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton to buy a treatment chair.