Milford Motors owner and Jaguar car restorer, John Scardifield, has died at the age of 72.

Born in Liss, Hampshire, John was the eldest of three children, born to Molly and Arch Scardifield, a policeman, spending his childhood in Gosport and then the Isle of Wight where on leaving school John became an apprentice electrician with Freddie Woods at Crockfords.

After the family returned to the mainland to live in a police house in Hinton Admiral, John made fence panels for Abbott and Griffiths and also worked as a bar a manager at the Ossemley Manor where he met his first wife Michelle.

When the manor closed and his marriage failed, he moved to Cornwall to run a convenience store with friends but was drawn back to Hampshire, renting a small garage with Alan Moody and Mervin Lister in Milford on Sea.

"John had always shown a keen interest in motors which included racing them at Matchams in his youth," said his daughter Leah Scardifield.

"When Alan and Mervin moved on to new ventures, John purchased the garage in 1972. This was the start of his small empire, Milford Motors."

He met his second wife Barbara when he was building up the business, and their daughter Leah was born in 1977. Due to the long hours he worked at the garage the relationship didn't work and they separated.

"John had a passion for Jaguar cars and would often go to France to pick up a Jag and bring it back to the garage to service and fix it, before taking it back to the owners, only to bring back another. He also enjoyed racing them and bought himself an E-type model. He took pride doing it up and sold it to a prestigious garage in Poole, using the money to buy Carrington Farmhouse," said Leah.

John also competed in power boat racing with Nick Freeman and Noel Hutchings in the Ultraviolet and had a micro light aircraft. He was also a Master of two lodges of Freemasons.

John met his 'soul mate' Sally in the late 1970s and they moved to Barton on Sea with her children Simon and Simone, and Leah. After 25 years together Sally and John tied the knot, in secret, in 2005.

Milford Motors expanded and ran a 24-hour breakdown and recovery service. They purchased and ran all the relevant trucks required and worked in partnership with the local police to collect cars involved in road accidents within the area.

In his retirement John bought and restored old tractors, housing 16 tractors in industrial units behind the garage.

In 2010 John's health deteriorated after a fall. He passed away at Bournemouth Hospital on November 10 and his funeral was held at Hinton Park Woodland Burial Ground on December 1.

"John was one of life's true gentleman," said Leah.