A BOLTON housing chief has died after suffering a heart attack while he was working out at a Bolton gym.

Satwant Singh, deputy chief executive of Bolton at Home - the new company looking after the borough's council houses - was using a treadmill at Bolton Arena, Middlebrook, when he collapsed.

Paramedics and gym staff tried to resuscitate the 54-year-old, from Horwich, but he died soon after at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Mr Singh, who was a keen jogger and a regular at the gym, leaves a wife, Suzanne, and three daughters.

Friends and colleagues today paid tribute to his work.

Noel Spencer, chairman of Bolton at Home, described Satwant as a wonderful public servant and a "dear, dear friend".

He said: "Satwant was a real star and much of our success was down to him. Everybody is stunned by the news."

Bipin Patel, editor of the Asian magazine Apna News said: "I felt numb when I heard Satwant had collapsed and rushed to the hospital. He was like a brother to me and I will miss him very much."

Glasgow-born Mr Singh joined Bolton at Home when it was launched two-years-ago after holding a number of positions at Bolton Council, including that of Farnworth district manager.

He is said to have played a key role in the group taking control of council homes and in winning millions of pounds in grants to be used to bring the council's decaying housing stock up to 21st Century standards.

A 999 call was made to the ambulance service at 7.10pm on Monday by gym staff who believed Mr Singh was suffering a fit.

A spokesman for Bolton at Home confirmed he died of a heart attack shortly after 8pm.

In a written statement, she said: "He was rushed to hospital, but sadly did not regain consciousness. He will be deeply missed."

George Caswell, chief executive of Bolton at Home, added: "Satwant was a very able and supportive deputy who brought a much needed added dimension to our work."

Neighbour Cllr Bob Ronson said: "He has always been very healthy and active and was a dedicated family man."

Cllr John Byrne, executive member for economic development and housing strategy at Bolton Council, said: "It is a very sad day, he has done a lot of good work for Bolton."

Bolton Arena acting chief executive Mike Bain said: "This was a tragic incident and the staff at the Arena are very upset. They tried their very best to help him and we are now holding an internal assessment into what happened."