Brightlingsea residents have expressed their shock and sadness on hearing of the death of Terry Scowen, the caretaker at St James’ Church.

A familiar face about the town, Terry was held in high regard for his caring and helpful nature – and for the unshowy, humble way he went about things.

Announcing news of Terry’s death, Brightlingsea vicar Caroline Beckett said: “Terry did so much for so many with such kindness of heart and his death is a real shock and a great loss to us.

“We will miss his dedication, his helpfulness, his compassion for those in difficulties, his wicked sense of humour and his care for the community. Even when I visited him in hospital, he was thinking of others and who would do their shopping for them with him out of action!

“From event setup to errands, prescription pickup to litter picking, practical help to a listening ear, Terry gave so much and asked so little of others in return.”

Hundreds of tributes to Terry were left on local social media pages, where Terry was described as having a “heart of gold”, and being a “gentle, lovely man” who “did so much for our town” and “had time to help everyone”.