Tributes are being paid to a former island police officer who has died after an illness.

Retired sergeant John ’Laxey’ Kinrade died at his home in Ballaugh on Saturday, a few weeks short of his 62nd birthday. He was married to Carol and had two childreny, Thomas and Sarah.

Former colleague, retired superintendent Carolyn Kinrade, no relation, said: ’A nicer man you could not meet and I say that genuinely. He was also a true, true friend.’

The news was broken by Paul Davenport, secretary of the island branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO) who said: ’Rest in peace John. A tremendous man taken far too soon.’

He added that Mr Kinrade was ’an absolute gentleman who would always go the extra mile to see how you were really doing, not just a casual ’’You alright’’.

Mr Davenport described him as a ’good friend, counsellor and more than a mere colleague to many others, and he will be sorely missed by so many people’.

He joined the police cadets straight from Ballakermeen High School and was a uniformed officer becoming a traffic sergeant before retiring after 30 years’ service.

In retirement Mr Kinrade worked with Carolyn Kinrade up until recently in a TT motor sport group, working on safety measures recommended by the coroner following a tragic incident at the 26th Milestone towards the end of Senior Race Day in 2007.