The family of Lord Methuen of Corsham has paid tribute to his dedication and kindness after he died agaed 82.

Robert Lord Methuen, the 7th Baron Methuen served in the House of Lords for 20 years and was patron of the Corsham Civic Society.

He inherited the title in 1994 after the death of his brother Anthony, and remained in the Lords following the abolition of hereditary peerages in 1999.

He died on July 9 at St Oswald’s Hospital Ash-bourne, Derbyshire after a short illness.

A Cambridge-educated electrical engineer, he worked at Westinghouse Brake and Signal in Chippenham, and enjoyed a distinguished career 2ith IBM and Rolls Royce before entering politics.

Along with his first wife Jane Hooper he had two daughter, Charlotte and Kittie. Charlotte said: “He was an involved father; he liked taking us out and doing things. I remember being taken as a child to see all sorts of things. Sometimes people who have had very busy and active lives at work find themselves lost when they retire, but when he did it was a like a second career.

“After his 80th birthday he cut down to one day a week, but until then he had been doing two, sometimes three, and he was still reading stuff and sending comments in by email.”

After being selected to remain in the House of Lords he served as a Lib Dem peer on the science and technology committee.

Chippenham MP Duncan Hames said: “Lord Methuen was an active, thoughtful and always well-informed peer who was liked and respected on all sides of the House. He will be missed.”

Civic society chairman Michael Rumsey said: “He was a delightful man, and I am so sorry that he passed away so quickly.”

Peter King, chairman of volunteers at the Corsham Almshouses, where Lord Methuen was a patron, said: “We as volunteer guides always enjoyed working with him. He was very gracious and very appreciative of the work that the volunteers do, and I think all of us would feel it’s a sad passing.”