POPULAR Mudeford fisherman Brian Stride has died, aged 58, following a two-year battle with cancer.

Life-long friend and former chairman of Mudeford and District Fishermen's Association, Mike Parker, said: "It's very sad because he died so young.

"He was a member of the association since a young man and was a fisherman born and bred. His father Roy was one and so was his grandfather."

Educated at Homefield School and Brockenhurst Grammar School, Brian Stride could have gone to university but instead followed his father's advice and took an apprenticeship in marine engineering with Elkins Boatyard, Christchurch.

After four years he moved to Aquaboats in Lymington. Aged 18, he met his future wife Stella Edgell, also from a local family involved in the fishing industry. They married at Christchurch Priory in 1970.

He then ran his own marine engineering business but soon realised that his real vocation was fishing.

In 1973 he bought his first commercial fishing boat, named it Stella Barbara and soon became a full-time fisherman and a regular competitor in the Mudeford Trawler Races.

When Brian's father had a stroke, he took on the additional role of running the family boatyard to ensure his parents could continue living at the premises.

Despite work and family commitments he spent 15 years as a volunteer crewman and engineer for the Mudeford Lifeboat and for four years was on the Southern Sea Fisheries committee. He also served for four years on New Milton Town Council.

Since his illness he was keen to support others with similar blood disorders and was a founder member of HAEM, a support group for those with lymphoma and leukaemia.

He lived at Ossemsley near New Milton.

The funeral service will take place at 1.30pm on Wednesday, April 4 at Christchurch Priory followed by interment at Hinton Park.

He leaves his wife Stella, sons James and Luke and their wives and two grandchildren.