A family have paid tribute to a loving dad and granddad who died 'doing what he loved.'

Ronald George Anthony James, 50, suffered a sudden heart attack while diving in the Red Sea on March 17, 2015.

Mr James, a former mechanic and experienced diver, was just three days into a specialist diving holding in the Sharm el-Sheikh.

At his inquest at Folkestone Magistrates Court on Wednesday, Christine Freedman, assistant coroner for Central and south East Kent, heard that underlying heart problems meant Mr James was a ‘ticking time bomb’.

She said: "This is a really sad story. A fit man doing something on holiday that he loved doing.

"From the evidence I have heard he did have quite serious underlying heart disease, although he didn’t have any symptoms, and it was perhaps just a matter of time as to when that would cause him problems.

"I’m satisfied from the evidence I have heard that everything that could be done was done.

"I would like to extend my sincere condolences to all his family."

Mr James leaves behind partner Alison Metalle, children Rhys, Roxanne and Ryder, stepchildren Ricky, Robert, Kurt, Jonathan and Chloe and 16 grandchildren.

Alison said: "He had dived in lots of different places - in Jamaica, in Turkey - he just loved diving.

"He wanted to go on this diving holiday and he text me every night while he was there but that Tuesday night I didn’t get a text.

"I had a missed call but I was at work and because I hadn’t heard anything else from him I just text him saying ‘guess you’re having a amazing time, I love you lots, I’m going to bed now and I will text you tomorrow.

"Half an hour later the police knocked on the door and I just couldn’t believe it.

"The police officer told me what happened and I just stood there saying ‘what, when how?’

"We just didn’t think it was him. We thought they had the wrong person."

His family added: "It is just a huge loss in our family. He was important to so many people.

"He used to say 143, because it means I love you, it was his thing.

"It has left such a huge gap in our lives, he is sorely missed and we think about him everyday.

"The only thing we can take from this is that he died doing something he loved."

His family said: “It is just a huge loss in our family. He was important to so many people.“Father of four, Granddad to many.

“He used to say 143, because it means love you, it was his thing.“He is sorely missed and we think about him everyday.“It has left such a huge gap in our lives.

Ron leaves behind partner Alison Metalle, children Rhys, Roxanne and Ryder, stepchildren Ricky, Robert, Kurt, Jonathan and Chloe and 16 grandchildren.er