WARM tributes have been paid to a “great dad and brilliant granddad” who died in a flat fire in a Suffolk seaside town.

Richard Cornwell

WARM tributes have been paid to a “great dad and brilliant granddad” who died in a flat fire in a Suffolk seaside town.

Adrian Miller would go out of his way to help others, spending his spare time immersed in the charity work he loved, his daughter said last night.

The 54-year-old's body was found when firefighters were called to his flat above the Citizens' Advice Bureau in Orwell Road, Felixstowe, on Monday, October 6.

Neighbours had heard a smoke alarm going off and alerted the emergency services but Mr Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.

Yesterday his daughter Becky Foster said: “We really miss him, but we have some lovely memories, good memories.

“He walked me down the aisle at my wedding, he was there for my daughter's christening, and he knew I had completed my nursing training although he won't be there for my graduation, and he saw me settle down.

“He was there for all the important things you want your dad to share with you. He was a great dad and a brilliant granddad and we love him very much.

“He will be very much missed - we have had so many cards from so many people who knew him.”

Mrs Foster, 24, who lives with her husband Stephen, 24, and their daughter Ellie, two, in Runnacles Way, Felixstowe, said her father was born in Kenya, where his dad had been working as an architect, but the family moved back to England when he was small.

He had lived in Ipswich for a while before moving to Felixstowe 30 years ago.

Mr Miller worked for companies in the port for many years and was with P&O as a loading clerk until the firm pulled out of the dock.

He then worked as a van driver for a catalogue delivery service, then Tesco and Morrisons, before training as a driving instructor

Mrs Forster said her father had been a great dad - doing all the things he was expected to do.

“He would take me to theme parks and water parks, take me in the pool and play and mess around: he was a lot of fun and I will always be able to think back to those lovely times,” she said.

Mr Miller - who lost his sister Sandra to cancer some years ago - had lived in the flats for about four years.

“He loved being close to the town and to the beach and would walk on the seafront almost every day,” said Mrs Foster. “He loved sailing when he was young and was a bit of a sun worshipper, really enjoying the outdoors.”

His other great pleasure was motor racing, particularly the grand prix, and he had been to Silverstone to see races.

He was also an accredited volunteer and helped out at the Community Resource Centre in the grounds of Orwell High School on various projects, including taking part in biking challenges around Alton Water and helping set up a garden area.

Mrs Foster, a learning disability nurse, said: “He really enjoyed his work on these projects - he was always more than willing to help people out in any way he could. I think he felt he had a duty of care towards everyone - it is something close to both our hearts.”

Police are not treating his death as suspicious, although an inquest will be held in due course.