TRIBUTES have been paid this week to an Air Ambulance pilot from Bredon who died last Saturday after collapsing while out jogging.

His wife, Sara Bennett, aged 39, said her husband Garry, aged 42, was "a lovely family man who really enjoyed his job with the Air Ambulance Service".

It was particularly tragic for Mrs Bennett who explained: "Garry liked to keep fit on his days off and it was quite normal for him to go out for a run.

"When he set out last Friday he said he would see me later.

"When he didn't come back on time I thought it was strange because he was also particular about punctuality. I went out along the route he normally took and found him being taken off to Cheltenham General Hospital in an ambulance. Someone had found him on the side of the road and called the ambulance."

The father of two died in hospital from a massive brain haemorrhage. "He had never been ill that I can remember before. I am very thankful that it didn't happen when he was flying said Mrs Bennett."

She said her husband had left instructions that his organs should be donated for transplant purposes. Mrs Bennett said: "Five people have already benefited from that, and it is some comfort to know that they have been helped.

Brian Fanthom, Special Operations Resources Manager of the Air Ambulance, said: "Garry was a very experienced pilot and a very well respected member of County Air Ambulance.

"He was particularly good with some of the new people during their periods of training.

"He will be sadly missed and all our thoughts are with his family at this sad time."

Members of County Air Ambulance will be at the funeral service to pay their last respects to their colleague.

Mr Bennett was the son of Frederick and the late Elsie Bennett, of Birlingham, and was educated at Prince Henry's High School, Evesham. He joined the Junior Leaders Regiment at 16 and the regular Army at 18 and for 22 years served in the Army Air Corps, during which time he served in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Ireland. "If there was anything going on he was usually there," Mrs Bennett said.

Mrs Bennett, who moved to Strensham from Birmingham when she was 10, met Garry at a party when they were teenagers and they were married in Pershore in 1982. He is also survived by two sons, Adam, aged 19, and Samuel aged six.

The funeral service takes place at Birlingham Church tomorrow (Friday) at 12.15pm, followed by cremation. Family flowers only but donations may be made to the Air Ambulance Service.