Ice skating in Richmond has lost one of its most passionate campaigners after Richard Meacock died aged 65.

Best known for his determination to see a replacement built for Richmond Ice Rink, demolished in 1992, Mr Meacock lost his battle with cancer on Sunday, April 9.

His wife Hilary said: "He was a fantastic husband and wonderful father. We feel he was taken away much too early. He was a fighter willing to try anything if he thought it could work."

In his early years, Mr Meacock managed pub bands including The Small Faces and it was at one such gig he met Hilary to whom he proposed just eight days later.

As a young married couple the Meacocks would take a car full of children, including their three boys, Theodore, Duncan and Dominic, and daughter Danae, to Richmond Ice Rink every Saturday.

Mr Meacock's was an avid skater himself and his passion for the sport saw him open the Museum of Ice Skating at 24 Richmond Hill, a shop front he bought in the 1970s.

When Mr Meacock came to Richmond he planned to run his shop as an estate agent, having opened his first in Feltham at the age of 21.

But he had one of his many run-ins with the authorities and ended up running the estate agents from a room below the art gallery, exhibiting paintings he had done of the houses he was trying to sell in the shop above.

At the time of his death he was embroiled in a court case after refusing to pay his business rates as he sought recognition for 24 Richmond Hill as the Little Museum of Ice Skating and Artists Co-operative.

Hilary explained: "Richard always had fights with councils. He loved to do things differently. He was constantly coming up against the authorities because he wanted to do things his way.

"He was very upset when Richmond Council gave permission to destroy the ice rink without making certain of a replacement. So many people are calling for it and he wanted to live to see it."

Mr Meacock formed the International School of Ice Skating (ISIS) to promote his cause and twice stood as a parliamentary candidate on the issue, most recently in 2005.

Leader of Richmond upon Thames Council, Tony Arbour, said: "Life in Richmond will be much greyer without the colourful presence of Richard Meacock. He was a doughty fighter for causes in which he believed, sometimes we even agreed."

Since Mr Meacock's passing, John Perry, chairman of ISIS, has called on all political parties standing in May's elections to state whether they support a replacement ice rink in the borough.

Mr Perry said: "He formed a committee to continue his work and hopefully one day a new ice rink will be his lasting legacy to the children of west London and this borough."

l See obituary on page 11