The Bearsted and Thurnham Society has lost one of its most loyal members.

Michael (Mike) Perring died in Maidstone Hospital on the Thursday before Christmas.

Although he was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1931, his forebears came from Grove Green.

Before the outbreak of the Second World War, his parents returned to Britain and Mr Perring attended Maidstone Grammar School and later served in the RAF.

In civvie life, he became a research scientist at East Malling Agricultural Research Station, specialising in the storage of apples.

He moved to Bearsted at the end of the 1960s.

In 1972, the Bearsted and Thurnham Residents Association was set up and as part of this, a Footpaths Group was formed.

Regular walks were organised and Mr Perring, a keen walker, was soon involved using his map reading skills and drawing upon his deep knowledge of local history, to devise routes.

This expanded into checking rights of way.

Today, when rights of way are clearly shown on Ordnance Survey maps, and are usually marked by stones and/or a post, it may be difficult to imagine the problems of finding and navigating paths in the 1970s.

Eventually KCC Rights of Way officers started to work with groups of local walkers, and riders seeking their help with way-marking, path clearance and stile building projects.

Mr Perring and the Bearsted and Thurnham Footpaths Group was involved in all of these activities in the parishes within its neighbourhood.

The Residents Association was later absorbed into the Bearsted and Thurnham Amenity Society and the latter was re-formed into the Bearsted and Thurnham Society just before the Kent International Gateway development proposal was unveiled.

Mr Perring was thoroughly involved in the successful StopKIG campaign to see off the proposal for an international freight terminal.

He escorted the planning inspectors Andrew Phillipson and Malcolm Rivett at the subsequent inquiry on a tour of the public footpaths that would be affected, diplomatically drawing the their attention to all that would be lost, had the scheme proceeded.

Mr Perring was also an active member of the Bearsted and District Local History Society and wrote many articles on the area's history.

Kate Kersey of The Bearsted and Thurnham Society said: "Our community benefitted a great deal from Mike's skills, superb attention to detail and thoughtful, thorough approach. We offer our sympathy to his family."

Mr Perring, who was 90, had been pre-deceased by his wife Dorothy, known as Joan.

He leaves two daughters, Rowena and Elizabeth, a son Andrew, and two grandchildren, Sam and James.

Mr Perring's funeral will take place at the church of St Mary the Virgin, in Thurnham, at noon tomorrow, Wednesday, January 19, to be followed by a wake at The Black Horse in Thurnham. All who knew him are invited, but mourners are asked to ensure they were a mask at both the wake and the funeral.