SWANAGE Railway enthusiast and steam engine photographer, Roy Panting of Hamworthy, has died at the age of 88.

Born in Richmond in Surrey, Roy Alan Panting won a place at The Tiffin Boys School in Kingston-Upon Thames. After leaving education, he went on get a job as a temporary laboratory assistant in the Admiralty Scientific and Technical Pools at Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty within the Navy in Surrey and in 1948, he transferred to the army reserves. He later transferred back to the Admiralty where he stayed for the rest of his working life, finishing up at Holton Heath in Poole, from which he retired in December 1981.

Throughout his life, Mr Panting loved steam engines and enjoyed taking pictures and recording every detail of each one he saw during trips across the country. He was also known to take some pictures of planes and boats but this was not his main passion.

His railway and steam engine photography has been described as his livelihood following his retirement, which he spent 20 years dedicating his time to.

Mr Panting kept a card index of every engine he had seen during trips around the UK and across Europe to visit stations and tracks to see stationary and moving vehicles, mentioning where it was taken, what it was and more specific details.

He was also a shareholder in Swanage Railway and donated his entire collection of records, books and memorabilia to the charity, who are said to have been 'grateful and overwhelmed' by the amount of history he had recorded. Mr Panting is said to have won many competitions over the years for his photographs, which include many engines which are no longer in existence.

Mr Panting was never married, did not have any children and has no living family members. He previously lived in Freshwater Drive in Hamworthy, but later moved to Wimborne Nursing Home due to a long period of ill health.

His funeral will be held on Wednesday, April 6 at Poole Crematorium at 3pm, with donations going to Broadstone Age Concern.