TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular huntsman who was found dead last week.

Michael Skuse, who was chairman of the Worcestershire Hunt, was found at Groveley Coppice, Upper Doddenham Farm in Broadwas, near Worcester, on Friday morning.

It is understood a silver Range Rover was left in the area and police officers sealed off the scene to carry out forensic examinations.

A police spokesman said the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. It is believed Mr Skuse took his own life.

The 60-year-old, of Broughton Green, near Droitwich, had been chairman of the hunt for about five years and leaves his wife May and a daughter Jessie.

Joint hunt master David Palmer paid tribute to his former colleague.

He said: “I can speak on behalf of everybody at the hunt by saying we are all reeling with shock at the loss of a very good friend.

“He was the chairman of the hunt and was a very authoritative figure. He loved the countryside and he loved his hunting. He will be enormously missed by all of us here, he was a very good administrator.”

Mr Skuse worked as a chartered accountant and until recently was a partner with global accounting firm KPMG.

Since leaving KPMG he has run his own business specialising in working as a business adviser to small and medium enterprises, (SMEs).

Mr Palmer said how no one he had spoken to suspected or could believe Mr Skuse would take his own life.

He said: “It was completely and utterly unexpected and came totally out of the blue. His wife and daughter have the love and sympathy of a huge number of people associated with the Worcestershire Hunt.

“We haven’t heard anything about what happened, it is best not to ask too many probing questions after such a tragic incident.”

Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams opened an inquest into the death yesterday. On the coroner’s court website the circumstances of the death state: “Mr Skuse died in an incident involving a motor vehicle.”