by Lewis Dyson

Tributes have been paid to a Sheppey radio DJ who has died at the age of 59.

BRFM presenter Dan Bransby died on Thursday. The exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed but Mr Bransby had an operation for bowel cancer recently.

Mr Bransby, originally from Billericay, Essex, moved to the Island in 2005.

He worked for a number of radio stations including Mercury FM, Radio Essex, Oasis FM, Radio 1017 in London and Radio Red Sands in Whitstable.

His son Tom, 25, said: "It tears me apart that I'm never going to hear his voice again and I'm sure his listeners were aware that his voice was captivating."

His daughter Lucy, 29, said: "He had very clear ideas about how things should look and sound, which is probably why he loved radio."

For the past year, Mr Bransby had been living in Song of the Seas Caravan Park, Bell Farm Lane, Minster.

Charlotte Clarke, his partner of seven years, said: "He loved looking out on the forts and his dream was to go out to there, because there used to be a pirate station, Radio Caroline, out there."

She added: "He had been fighting cancer and he had a couple of operations.

"They thought they may have been successful so we thought his outlook was now very positive.

"But an infection had set in and that was what finished him off because his body was so low."

Jim Ashworth worked with Mr Bransby at the BRFM studio in Oak Lane, Minster.

He said: "He was a great friend, a much-loved colleague and he will be sorely missed, both by us personally, the radio station and all of his friends here on the Island."

His close friend Paul Dennis said: "There are not many who are as genuine as him in life and he would go out of his way to help you.

"It was a friendship that will be irreplaceable."

• The funeral will be held on May 3 at Bobbing Crematorium. If people want to follow the hearse there, they should meet in the car park opposite The British Queen, Oak Lane, at 10.15am.