A DEDICATED porter who watched thousands of brides, babies and mourners pass through Preston Registry Office, collapsed and died at work.

Bob Smith, 62, of Avenham, died suddenly at the office in Guildhall Street where he had devoted most of his working life.

This week tributes flooded in from the many workers who Bob greeted each day, praising his goodwill and friendly manner.

Kath Flaherty of CareerLink, which shares the registrars office building, said Bob always had a smile for everyone and knew them all by name. She said: "My husband called in a few times and in no time at all Bob knew his name too.

"He was quite a remarkable man."

Bob's colleague Bill Sharples said: "He was such a character. In the registry office, there would be people getting married for their second or third time. They would have a joke and say to Bob, 'are you still here?'"

David Kay also of CareerLink said: "He was always the first to arrive at the building and usually the last one to leave, bar the cleaners."

Bob had recently put in for voluntary redundancy and was looking forward to visiting his family who are scattered all over the world.

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