TRIBUTES have been paid to a former science teacher who has died.

John Read was a former pupil at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School between 1954 and 1961 and later returned to the school as a science teacher for 30 years.

The 75-year-old died on October 3, at the Royal Blackburn Hospital but he is fondly remembered by staff and pupils at the West Park Road school.

A spokesman for QEGs said:"John was very proud of the school he attended as a boy and served as a member of staff with such distinction. John will be greatly missed by all.

"It is with great sadness that we report that our friend and former colleague, John Read, passed away.

"He was a talented physicist who loved his subject and he made a significant contribution to general school life.

"Perhaps his greatest contribution was as the school Archivist where, in a little room in the attic, he researched and documented early school documents and responded to requests for information from within school and beyond."

Graham Slack, , taught with Mr Read at QEGS.

He said: "He liked to stress he was a scientist and was a stickler for accuracy if someone said something that was not quite right you knew there was some criticism coming and as near enough was not good enough.

"We ran the railway society at school and took the kids around the country to look at trains.

"He was also a member of the East Lancashire Railway. He still worked as the lookout man in recent years."

Toby Scott, attended QEGs between 1983-85 learning A-Level Physics, added: "He did a lot of the practical experiments and lab work and was a really good teacher.

"He had a great sense of humour and knew how to get results.

"He was very supportive to me as I had a tremor and he told me to get a doctors letter to say about my problems and the examiners would not mark you down."

John’s funeral will take place on October 22 at 2.15pm at Pleasington Crematorium, Blackburn.