TRIBUTES have been paid to the long-standing chairman of Luxborough Parish Council Bob Cooksley after he died in a diving accident in Cornwall on Saturday.

Mr Cooksley, aged 78, suffered problems while surfacing after an organised dive on the wreck of the James Eagan Layne off Whitsand Bay.

His dive party and a lifeboat crew carried out first aid at the scene but he was pronounced dead at Plymouth's Derriford Hospital.

Mr Cooksley was a qualified ocean diver after taking up the sport following the death of his wife Maureen around 18 months ago.

Friends and colleagues described him as a true "good guy" and were mystified as to what went wrong on the dive.

They said he was always very precise about details and had learned to be cautious after training as an electrician as a young man.

One said he was particularly excited about Saturday's dive as it was to have been the last before he underwent keyhole surgery next month.

Mr Cooksley, who had lived in Luxborough for around 15 years and was parish council chairman for four, was also due to become the first non-district councillor to hold the chairmanship of a district panel.

He had been chosen to replace West Somerset district councillor Peter Humber as the chairman of the Dunster Panel, a community group made up of councillors, the police and representatives from influential local organisations.

Cllr Humber said Mr Cooksley was held in very high regard by all who knew him and that was reflected in the fact he had been given the chairmanship of the panel.

"He made such a contribution to the Dunster Panel, he participated fully and was also a very thoughtful and caring man," he said.

"He was always very supportive of me and stood in several times for me. He was a good guy."

Mr Cooksley's vice-chairman on Luxborough Parish Council, Cllr Dave Powell, said he would be greatly missed, both as a friend and as a parish councillor.

"He did a lot of things many people won't even be aware of, like attending meetings at Exmoor National Park Authority," he said.

"He did the fete, the duck races and was involved with the short mat bowls.

"He was a real gentleman and it's going to take some going to fill the gap he's left behind."

Despite his parish commitments, Mr Cooksley still found time to regularly travel to London to give lectures on electrical engineering and also set and marked exams on the subject.

Neighbour and friend Malcolm Watts said Mr Cooksley was very active and diving had become a real passion following the death of his wife.

He said he was true friend who was always there to help and he would be sadly missed in the village.

Mr Watts said: "He was super chap. He got involved in village life as soon as he came here and was always willing to help out or take part in things.

"He was a natural comedian and always did the public address system at the fete.

"We are all going to miss him. He was a very good friend and we were very close."

Mr Cooksley lived alone and had a daughter Karen in London and son Matthew in Guildford.