THE founder of the Codfather fish and chip shop in Trowbridge, John Leitch, 70, has died suddenly at home surrounded by his family.

Mr Leitch, who was born in Edinburgh on April 15, 1946, spent much of his childhood in the Scottish capital before joining the Royal Scots in the 1960s and moving to their base in Warminster.

He did two tours of Ireland, which his family says he spoke proudly of, and after a few years his sister Jean followed him to Wiltshire.

It was while he was first based in the county that he met his first wife Barbara and they had four children: Morag, Sharon, Andrew and Brendan. Despite divorcing, the couple remained good friends.

After leaving the Royal Scots Mr Leitch worked for a number of companies in Trowbridge before getting a part-time job doing outdoor bars at the Kings Arms, his first taste of the hospitality industry.

Mr Leitch was a steward first for the Trades and Labour Club and then at the Central Conservative Club in Mill Street, where he was known to many as Jock. He left in 1982 when he moved to the Unigate Sports and Social Club in Bradley Road, which is where he met his long-term partner Gloria Rose.

In 1988 the couple bought the Hollies Hotel in Westbury Leigh. They sold it two years later and became managers of the Lovemead Conservative Club.

Mr Leitch and Gloria founded the Codfather in Church Walk in 1994. Its success resulted in them opening a second fish and chip shop in Southwick two years later.

In 2000 they sold both businesses to take early retirement and they had spent the past 16 years enjoying spending time with their family, including six grandchildren and three great grandchildren and Gloria’s grandchild Corey, who Mr Leitch adored.

His family will remember his warm personality where he made every customer a friend. Mr Leitch also loved gardening and playing golf.