Tributes have been paid to a well-liked man killed in an accident while on holiday in South Africa.

Tony Staplehurst, 76, who was instrumental in the Hopewell Twinning Association and the restoration of the Willesborough Windmill, fell off a cliff while taking photos on Tuesday.

He was with his wife Anne when he fell about 50ft (15 metres).

The couple were part of an organised tour hiking in the Robberg Nature Reserve, near Plettenberg Bay.

Mr Staplehurst’s son has travelled to South Africa and his body is expected to be flown back within the next couple of days.

Mr Staplehurst, a retired international communications manager for a major American bank, who was a widower, married second wife Anne in 2004 at Willesborough Windmill.

The couple met when Mr Staplehurst was showing a school party around the windmill and he spotted Anne Dowsett, who was helping with the group that included one of her grandchildren.

At Willesborough mill he was one of the team of volunteers working to restore and preserve the listed building to its former glory.

As an expert he regularly gave talks on mills to groups across Kent and among his many achievements was to form a link with another famous windmill in Virginia.

He was a founder and current vice-chairman of the Friends of Hopewell Twinning Association and a stalwart committee member of Ashford Twinning Association.

He was a familiar visitor to all three twin towns of Fougeres in France, Bad Munstereifel in Germany and Hopewell in America and the couple were regular hosts to guests travelling to Ashford.

Cllr Bob Davidson (Lib Dem) said: “He’ll be remembered mainly for the refurbishment and restoration of the windmill.

"It’s been his baby from the very beginning, when the council decided it could be restored. It has gone through three difficult stages but Tony always stuck by it.

“Speaking personally, my memories will be about his commitment to travel and see the world with Anne. I think that was his goal, to do as much as he could in the time he was able to do so.”

Mr Staplehurst’s body is due to be flown home within the next couple of days.