The wife of former Melksham Conservative Club steward Nigel Williams, who was found dead behind a town centre supermarket, has described him as a doting family man.

Mr Williams’ body was found by police officers behind the Iceland store in the Market Place, at about 3.50am last Thursday, following a 999 call. Police are not treating his death as suspicious.

His wife Rosemary Williams, 61, spoke of her husband’s love and adoration for his daughters Kim, 25, and Kirsty, 20, and granddaughter Keira, three.

She said: “Keira was his pride and joy and his face would just light up when she came into the room.

“It was her birthday party on January 9 and he came in with the Princess themed cake for her and bought her a pink laptop computer.”

Mrs Williams said she had worked alongside her husband at the Conservative Club in Bank Street for more than 14 years.

She worked behind the bar and on the catering side and until recently the couple lived above the club.

She said: “He grew up in the Midlands and had left school with no qualifications, but he persuaded the principal of the local agricultural college in Kenilworth to let him study there.”

Mr Williams went into the pub trade and after the couple met and married in November 1983, they ran two pubs, the first in Telford, and the second in Derbyshire.

She said: “We came to this area and started together at the Conservative Club.

“He cared about people and people liked him. Something we really enjoyed together was taking holidays in Eygpt and he loved snorkelling out there, he was so happy doing that.”

His daughter Kirsty, who also lives in Melksham, added: “He loved us and I always knew he was there for us if we needed him.

“He told me he was very proud of me for the way I had brought Keira up.”

Mr Williams’ funeral will take place at the West Wiltshire Crematorium in Semington at 12.15pm on Tuesday. Donations in his memory can be made to the NSPCC, care of D.J Bewley Funeral Directors.

l An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned at Salisbury on Monday.