A FAMILY has paid tribute to a prominent businessman who has died suddenly at 77.

James Barnes, chairman of the Frank Barnes Group, based in Cross Street, Darwen, passed away suddenly on July 12.

Mr Barnes’ father Frank set up the business, as a scrap metal merchant in the late1940s but now offers crane hire, skip hire, waste disposal and machinery removals,

Jim, as he was known, started working for the business straight from school and was soon joined by his brother Lewis.

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The company is now run by Jim’s sons and now has a fourth generation - Jim’s grandsons - learning the trade.

A spokesperson for the family said: “Jim attended work every day and it was his life.

“If anybody met Jim at work they would not know he was the boss.

“He was very much a hands-on man who preferred to muck in and get on with it. It was very rare he came into the office.”

Away from work Mr Barnes, who lived near Edgworth, was a keen gardener and he was also very interested in Darwen`s historical past, such as the cotton and paper mills.

The spokesman added: “He was a well-liked, hard-working, no-nonsense but modest man who would not ask anybody to carry out a task he couldn’t do.

“He treated people fairly and was well-respected by everybody who knew him.

“He was married for more than 59 years and enjoyed holidays and loved having his family, especially his grandchildren, around him.

“He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and workers.”

Mr Barnes leaves a wife, Margaret, three sons, Stephen, David and Mark, nine grandchildren, Ryan, Gemma, Sam, Joe, Taylor, Hannah, Tom, Emily and Alex, and a great-granddaughter Ruby.

A funeral service is scheduled to take place this Friday at Pleasington Crematorium, near Blackburn, at 2.15pm.