INDUSTRIALIST Richard Hurst, a leading light in Bolton's business community, has died.

Mr Hurst, 78, of Markland Hill died in hospital on Wednesday after suffering a second stroke.

His funeral will be held at St Thomas of Canterbury on Wednesday at 11am.

At the time of his death Mr Hurst was the chairman of family engineering firm, Richard Threlfall Ltd, where he worked for 56 years.

A few months before he died he told his son Richard: "I wish I could leave it alone but I can't because it is in my blood."

But the company boss, who was awarded an OBE in 1991, is better known for his campaigning to improve education and training in Bolton.

Mr Hurst was a founder member and long-standing former chairman of Bolton Training Group, a past President of the Chamber of Commerce, a former co-opted member on Bolton Education Committee, a former governor of BIHE and a present governor at Hayward School.

Mr Hurst was not afraid to speak out publicly on issues he felt strongly about and in 1979 he hit the headlines when he urged 400 small firms to take on a school leaver each to cut youth unemployment in the town.

In 1989 BIHE awarded Mr Hurst an Honorary Fellowship and a few years later the college named an ultra-modern computer aided design centre after him.

Son Richard believes his father's drive to become actively involved in the local community stemmed from his deeply religious views.

He said: "He was always a practising Catholic and devout Christian and felt he had a responsibility to help others.

"Basically he liked doing good. I can honestly say I never heard him say a bad word about anybody. He never saw ill in people, he always saw their best side."

Mr Hurst leaves his wife Barbara, a former Bolton councillor and chair of the Girls' Division at Bolton school, five children and ten grandchildren.

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