TRIBUTES were paid last night to a staunch supporter of a yacht club who died in an accident when he was towing his caravan to a garage for repairs.David Robert Guthrie, known as Bob, of Main Road, Sutton, near Woodbridge, was killed in a road collision yesterday.

TRIBUTES were paid last night to a staunch supporter of a yacht club who died in an accident when he was towing his caravan to a garage for repairs.

David Robert Guthrie, known as Bob, of Main Road, Sutton, near Woodbridge, was killed in a road collision yesterday.

Mr Guthrie, a retired architect aged 80, was with his wife Pat when the accident happened.

Their Citroen Xantia was in collision with a Honda Accord and a BMW 318 near Hall Farm Road, close to the traffic lights on Woods Lane, Melton.

Mr Guthrie was taken to Ipswich Hospital by ambulance and died soon afterwards. The death was the sixth fatality on Suffolk's roads this year. No-one else was hurt in the accident.

Woods Lane was closed for five hours while the vehicles were recovered and a police accident investigation unit examined the scene. Traffic queues backed up into Woodbridge causing disruption for much of the day.

Mr Guthrie, married for many years and the father of several children, lived next door to Margaret Fetherston on the banks of the River Deben. Mrs Fetherston said he was a very tall man and a great person.

Mrs Fetherston was driving towards the traffic lights from Sutton and she was not far behind Mr Guthrie when his accident occurred at about 9.10am. She said she did not know at the time that he was involved.

Mr Guthrie was the property manager for many years until recently of the Deben Yacht Club.

Eddie Taylor, club secretary, said: "He made a significant contribution to the development of the club. He was the person who engineered the lifting of the club on stilts a few years ago.

"He was a staunch member of the club and he was one of those guys who was a man for all seasons and for all people. He had time for everybody and was a tremendous supporter of the Deben Yacht Club and he was also very kind and enthusiastic.

"He had a number of children and a very big family in terms of children and grandchildren and it is a very supportive family as well."

Police officers have spoken to some witnesses and are still appealing for other witnesses to contact Pc Chris Allen at the force traffic unit on 01473 613500.