Friends and family have paid tribute to a self-made businessman who worked tirelessly to provide for his wife and children following his death at 91.

David Cameron was born into a poor family and quit school at the age of 14.

His rags to riches tale started when he launched his own greengrocers in London before moving to the Tonbridge and Malling area and embarking on a cavity wall insulation business.

Following his death on Friday, September 28, his daughter Dawn Diana said he only ever worked to make life for his family the best it could be.

The father-of-six grew to love the countryside and the home counties when he was evacuated to Fernhurst in Surrey in 1939.

Following work as a greengrocer and time recorder Mr Cameron moved to Kent in 1966 and started Megafoam in 1969 where it went from strength to strength wit bases in East Malling, Wrotham and Tonbridge.

However, in 1974 national news outlets reported on health fears over the foam used and the business took a hit.

Mrs Diana said: “dad didn’t give up - his life motto ‘Never Give Up’. He rebuilt the business and in 1976 the turnover was up to £525,000.

“By the late 70s the business was worth nearly £1M and dad received offers from other companies to take Megafoam over.

“In 1978 dad took on Greenways as a second business, the hotel and entertainment complex on A20 Addington. It was run down, half built hotel, few booked functions, poorly managed but dad as an entrepreneur seized the opportunity to bring it back to life.

“Dad ploughed lots of money into the business, refurbishing, building a new wing and completing the hotel.”

The feel good factor was short-lived as unfounded claims in news reports re-emerged that the foam insulation used for filling wall cavities was carcinogenic.

Five thousand people lost their jobs as a result of the negative impact on the company.

Mrs Diana added: “Dad was never materialistic and cared not for the money he lost, although he desperately wanted to help his family financially. What devastated him the most was all those good, hard working people at Megafoam and Greenways, who lost their jobs, through no fault of dad’s, but bad publicity.

“I’ll never know how dad survived this but he did. At 56 years old all that he had worked hard for was lost. He continued working for various companies until he was 78. He then took up writing and did an English degree at Kent University - making up for those lost years at school, having left at age 14.

“In his retirement he was an avid writer and member of Write Idea writing club. He was a Freemason until he died, serving 50 years with Pilgrims Lodge, Wrotham. He was also a member of Leyara the Leybourne social club.

“He was one of the highest collectors for the Poppy Appeal, standing outside West Malling Tesco’s every year.

“Everyone that knew him found him an honest, caring and inspiring man, full of integrity, positivity and always smiling.

“Nothing ever phased him. He once said if he was an animal he would be a tiger - afraid of nothing.”

Mr Cameron died peacefully surrounded by his family.

His funeral takes place on October 25 at 2pm at St Margaret’s Church, Park Road, Addington.

This will be followed by the wake at Pilgrims Lodge Masonic Hall, St Mary’s Road, Wrotham.