POIGNANT tributes have been paid to a “popular and caring” man who died in hospital following a traffic accident in Poole.

Pedestrian David Dixson, 68, suffered severe head injuries in a collision with a car near the mini-roundabout at the Constitution Hill Road/Ashley Road junction last Friday evening.

Mr Dixson was a regular at Ashley Road’s Victoria Cross pub, and locals were shocked to learn he had died.

Landlady Teresa Davies told the Daily Echo: “He was part of the furniture here. I cannot remember a day when he hasn’t come in.

“He didn’t just come in as a drinker. Dave used to do my garden and he’d make cakes for the senior citizens club we’ve run here for six and a half years.

“When people hear he was in the pub every day they could get the wrong idea. It wasn’t like that, he would be down in the garden every morning – if anything needed doing he would help out.

“Everyone here knew Dave, it is hard to get across just how popular and caring he was.”

Indeed, pub staff and locals have already formed a group to help organise and fund his funeral.

Mr Dixson had been married, and had a sister living locally. He was born and bred in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and moved to Poole in 1972.

According to friends he’d worked in a range of jobs, including shop fitting and carpentry, served in the armed forces for a while and travelled.

“We put him up for about six weeks at the pub, around three months ago, as he waited for his new council home,” said Teresa.

Mr Dixson had been on his way to catch a bus to his Poole home, from the Victoria Cross pub, when the collision involving a red Vauxhall Adam hatchback car happened at around 9.30pm.

Teresa said: “There used to be a group for teenagers and adults with learning disabilities that met at Poole Park. He would go down there and cook for them every weekend, until the group stopped meeting about two years ago.

“He also looked after a very good friend of his when she was taken ill with dementia.

“Dave looked after her until her death – he used to bring her over for lunch every single day.

“He didn’t see family and had few possessions, but it is important that people know how popular and caring he was – he was a real character and will be missed.”