SELF-CONFESSED petrol head, motoring and cycling enthusiast Derek Copas of Verwood has died aged 87.

Born in London, the second of three children, he went on to serve in the Fleet Air Arm as an aircraft technician during the Second World War.

He trained as a cartographer at the Directorate of Colonial Surveys where he worked for 40 years, gaining the Imperial Service Medal on his retirement.

In the 1970’s he met future wife Sheila at the office and they married in 1977.

When the Directorate of Colonial Surveys merged into the Ordnance Survey at Southampton in the 1980’s, the couple were forced to move south and Sheila said the pair “never looked back”.

A keen racing cyclist, he co-founded a cycle racing club and took part in road racing and time trials, occasionally on a tandem.

His other keen interest was his classic 1961 Volkswagen Beetle convertible which he displayed at many shows including frequent attendance at the ‘Cars on the Prom’ event in Bournemouth.

It was at such an event two years ago that he suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the promenade, however the quick actions of nearby lifeguards saved his life.

Such was his commitment he co-founded a club for Beetle enthusiasts and served as treasurer for ten years.

In later life he suffered from leukaemia and had his voice box removed.

Always quiet and understated, Sheila said his passion for motors is still felt and has been passed on to all those he left.