Tributes have been paid to a much-loved former head teacher and church leader from Lympne who was killed in a tragic accident.

Graham Stabbs was an influential villager and set up the successful Lympne Theatre Group with his wife Betty in 2008 and was also chairman of the village hall committee.

He was a keen amateur dramatist and performed in a number of productions by the village group, including as the dame in Dick Whittington in 2012.

Mr Stabbs, believed to have been in his early 60s, is thought to have been unloading building materials from a lorry at a property on the A260 Canterbury Road, just outside Densole, when the tragedy happened.

Police, ambulance and the air ambulance attended after being called at 10.10am.

An ambulance spokesman said: “A man had been injured by a heavy load coming off a lorry, which crushed him.

“We sent three ambulance cars and one ambulance to the scene, along with an air ambulance.

“The man was very seriously injured and had to be resuscitated at the scene. He was taken by road ambulance to the William Harvey Hospital in a life-threatening condition.”

Police confirmed that Mr Stabbs died shortly afterwards in hospital. An investigation into the tragedy is being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr Stabbs was a retired head teacher at Warden House Primary in Deal.

He also taught at St Margaret’s at Cliffe Primary, Vale View and St Martin’s Primary in Dover, and was a former lay preacher and youth club leader at Dover Methodist Church.

He was also involved with youth football and was chairman of the Dover and Deal Schools’ FA.

“He was a guy who would turn his car in the direction of someone who was having a difficult time" - Graham Chisnell, Warden House principal

Graham Chisnell, the principal at Warden House school, said: “He has always been an absolute inspiration. He was so well loved by the staff and was inspiring for children and staff alike.”

Mr Stabbs was also a member of the Dover Operatic and Dramatic Society and trained in Stockport, Cheshire, before moving to Kent.

During his career he was seconded to the Kent County Council local education department.

Mr Chisnell said: “He was passionate about extended services and giving children experiences that maybe wouldn’t have been afforded to them.

“He was a guy who would turn his car in the direction of someone who was having a difficult time.

“A number of times he would pop up at someone’s school during a difficult moment, he had that compassion for people.”

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