TRIBUTES have been paid to passionate sportsman John Welch, who died alongside his partner Eileen Swannack, on a beach in Tunisia when they were shot by a fanatical gunman.

Friends of the 74-year-old from Corsham say he was loved by everyone he met and is best-known for being a keen tennis player and golfer in the town.

Following Friday's attack on Friday, messages from wellwishers have been flooding in to his three children and family, with many leaving flowers on the doorstep of his home in Pickwick Road.

The retired plumber lived in Corsham all his life and was born in the old maternity home in the High Street. He went to the former Box Highlands Primary School and then to The Corsham School before becoming an apprentice.

Mr Welch leaves two daughters, who live in Corsham and Chippenham, and a son who lives in Canada.

His heartbroken best friend Bill Laws, 73, has spoken of the gaping hole his devastating death will leave in his and everyone’s lives in Corsham.

They formed a friendship more than 40 years ago through their love of sport and there was rarely a day when the pair, who lived within minutes of each other and considered themselves like brothers.

“I saw his family grow up, he saw my family grow up,” Mr Laws of Paul Road said. “He was a generous man and I miss him like hell. It’s going to alter my life as well, seeing so much of him, so it’s all very raw.”

The two grandfathers travelled the world together with their partners going to the Caribbean, Hong Kong, the Far East and all over Europe as well as on annual skiing holidays and shared many happy memories.

Mr Welch’s grandson Daniel Welch, 29, from Swindon, contacted the media on Saturday to say his family were deeply concerned to have not heard from the couple following the shootings and were desperate for them to make contact.

Because of the close friendship, Mr Laws was inundated with people asking for news.

“People are not just sad, they are angry,” he said.

“Plane crashes, car accidents – you can say ‘it happens, it’s just bad luck, wrong place wrong time’ – but this is dreadful.

“Everybody in the town is distraught and wants to know information, asking ‘have they found him’. I go down the town and tell them and the next day they say ‘is there any more news?’ they’re grasping at straws, so it was devastating when they did finally say him and his partner had been identified, because all the straws then went.”

This week, Corsham Cricket Club have been flying their flag at half mast for Mr Welch and Mrs Swannack.

Membership secretary John Gale, membership secretary at Corsham Cricket Club, said: “All at Corsham Cricket Club would like to convey our deepest sympathy to John’s family at this sad time. It came as a big shock, you don’t expect that sort of thing to happen.

“He was a long-standing member of the club and although he didn’t come down all the time he will be sadly missed. When I saw him in the town he always said hello.”

Mr Laws added: “Everybody loved John, he was a guy who would help anyone. He was a softie and women loved him. He always had this aura about him. They wanted to cuddle him because he was a big teddy bear.

“He was a very likeable guy and he’s going to be missed by a lot of people in this town.”

Ruth Hopkinson, chairman of Corsham Town Council, said: “John and Eileen will be sorely missed by their many friends and family and our heartfelt condolences go out to them all.”