WARM tributes have been paid to Colin Cameron, the man who died in the rail accident at Frampton on Tuesday.

A founder of the Stroudco Food Hub community group, Colin was passionate about sustainable small scale farming and widely known in the district.

He was one of a handful of producers who helped to set up Stroudco in 2006 producing beef and eggs on his smallholding at Viaduct Farm between Stroud and Cirencester.

Nick Weir of Stroudco said: “Colin was a very dear friend and neighbour.

"I am still struggling to come to terms with the enormity of his loss.

"He was a very important part of our local community – a mutual friend described him as ‘a tall oak in the forest of our community’.

"He was incredibly generous with his time and resources, providing not just a supply of wholesome, delicious food but also a source of advice, wisdom and a wonderful, infectious sense of humour.

“Colin was passionate about his farming.

"He believed in producing the highest quality food whilst maintaining the utmost respect for the animals in his care.

"I remember his grief every time an animal went to slaughter and his subsequent reverence for the quality of the meat it produced.

“He was a pillar of strength through the long, slow process of setting up the Food Hub.

"His belief in our aims of building a fairer, more sustainable food system helped keep us going through the dark days.

"His perseverance was inspirational – I remember him sitting through the long evening meetings every month in the early days of setting up Stroudco.

"He had been up every day from 5am and he was struggling to stay awake as our meetings dragged on to 10pm and even 11pm.

“As we slowly come to terms with the loss of such a great man, I am deeply touched by the outpouring of grief, love and sadness from the community that Colin did so much to build around him and his family.

"Although there is nothing we can do to fill the gap left in his beautiful family, I hope that they can take some comfort from the huge amount of goodwill that so many local people are expressing in many different ways.

“As one of the ways we would like to pay our respects to Colin we will be planting some native broadleaf trees in his honour.

"If you would like to contribute to this tree fund please search for ‘Colin’ on the stroudco.org.uk shop.

"We will be using the whole of these donations to plant trees in memory of our ‘tall oak’. May he rest in peace”

Colin built both of the Stroudco sheds – the first one at what was then called Parliament Street Primary School (now Severn View) and the current one at Stroud Valley Community School.

He was a fine craftsman and took great pride in constructing buildings to the highest quality.

Colin, 60, had also been a director of the Stroudco Community Interest Company right from the start.

A  not-for-profit community organisation, the food hub was set up to source produce from local farmers, bakers, beekeepers and other producers.

Colin died when his Land Rover was struck by a train at a rail crossing in Frampton Mansell on Tuesday afternoon.

If anyone else woukld like to pay tribute to Colin please email ebi@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk