PENSIONER Harold Large, who died in a road accident in Ipswich, was today described by his devoted daughter as "a lovely man" who was "friendly and outgoing".

PENSIONER Harold Large, who died in a road accident in Ipswich, was today described by his devoted daughter as "a lovely man" who was "friendly and outgoing".

The 79-year-old suffered a heart attack while he was at the wheel of his red Citroen car which caused the vehicle to crash into a garden wall in Luther Road.

His daughter, Yvonne James, who lives in Cambridgeshire but kept in daily contact with her father, said: "He was my dad and special to me. He was a lovely man and we were a close family."

Mrs James had telephoned her father on Saturday morning only a few hours after the accident last Friday.

When she could not make contact with him she drove to Suffolk and alerted police who broke the awful new to her.

The grandfather had been heading home from an evening out at The Conservative Club, in town, when the accident happened shortly before 11pm.

He had recently returned from a week's holiday in Bournemouth.

Mr Large, who was born and bred in Sproughton, was in the RAF at the start of the Second World War, serving in Egypt. He worked for the electricity board for 35 years until he took early retirement at the age of 59.

He was also a keen member of The Conservative Club based in Austin Street and had served on the electricity board's pensioners committee for some years.

The grandfather, from Coltsfoot Road, enjoyed bowls, travelling and spending time with his 11-year-old granddaughter, Abigail.

He used to go swimming on Tuesdays at Crown Pools and was also a member of the Loco Club in Station Street.

"He had lots of friends," said Mrs James, 53, of Burwell, Cambridgeshire.

"He went on holidays with The Conservative Club. They had an outing once a month to France and he always managed to have a laugh."

Mr Large's wife, Evelyn, died about five years ago just before the couple were due to celebrate their golden wedding.

The couple married at St Mary at Stoke Church where the funeral is due to take place on Thursday, February 28.

Firefighters pulled Mr Large from the car and tried to resuscitate him. Karl Rolfe, assistant divisional officer, said: "The driver wasn't trapped but needed serious medical attention.

"A crew did try to sustain life but unfortunately to no avail. We did what we could until the doctors and paramedics arrived."