FORMER Calne police sergeant Thomas 'Tom' Goff has died at a care home in Royal Wootton Bassett at the age of 90.

Mr Goff spent more than 28 years in the police covering Swindon, Colerne, Devizes and Calne.

Born on February 8, 1925 in Westbury as the eldest of three brothers, he attended Westbury Junior School and Trowbridge High School.

Mr Goff worked in Westbury Post Office before the Second World War and was in charge of the sorting office at 16.

In 1943, he volunteered to join the Navy and was trained as a radio operator where he was part of a group responsible for intercepting German signals and passing them to Bletchley Park to help military intelligence.

He served on HMS Byron on the Atlantic and Baltic convoys and received a military medal, the Arctic star, at a ceremony at County Hall in September 2013.

He married Brenda Mullens in 1948 who he had met at Westbury Post Office whilst at home on leave during the war.

After the war, Mr Goff worked for Wiltshire police in Swindon and Colerne, before moving to Calne in the early 1950s. After a two-year spell in Devizes, he was made sergeant and returned to Calne until his retirement in the mid-1970s.

After retiring from the police, Mr Goff took up the position of head of security for Harris' meat factory until its closure in the late 1980s and in semi-retirement was invited by Lord Lansdowne to set up the security at Bowood House in preparation for its opening to the public.

After opening he also acted as a visitor guide and maintained he was the first person to test the death slide when the adventure playground opened.

In total, he spent 60 of the last 62 years in Calne where he was a member of the town council for four years in the late 1970s, a school governor at St Dunstan School, a member of the 1st Calne Scout committee, a founding member of the local Probus Club and was actively involved in the Methodist Church.

A keen gardener, walker and lawn bowls player, Mr Goff suffered a small stroke last year.

After a short spell at the Royal United Hospital in Bath and Savernake Community Hospital he died at a care home on April 7, leaving wife Brenda, three children, John, Carol and Chris, and five grandchildren: Mark, Zoe, Sian, Campbell and Arabella.

A service of thanksgiving is to be held at The Methodist Chapel, Silver Street in Calne at 1.15pm on Monday with a service at Semington Crematorium at 2.30pm for family only.

No flowers but donations welcome to the Methodist Church via E Wootten & Son Funeral Directors of Calne.