WELL-KNOWN former Whitehaven businessman Brian Holt has died at the age of 70.

Mr Holt passed away at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle on Tuesday morning, following a stay in hospital.

He and his wife Dorothy were well-known for running Holt’s Art Shop, on Roper Street, until their recent retirement. Their son Peter is a pilot in the RAF.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Holt by his friend, George Clements, who said: “He was such a friendly and likeable person, as is Dorothy. He is going to be sadly missed by family, friends and the community at large.”

He described Mr Holt as “a dear, dear friend”.

Mr Clements said his friend’s death was going to “send shockwaves through the trading community” in Whitehaven, as he was so well-known and well-liked.

He said many traders have been asking after Mr Holt while he was in hospital.

Whitehaven-born Mr Holt worked at Smiths printers before deciding to set up on his own in 1977 and operated from his initial Addison Street premises for four years before acquiring the buildings on Roper Street.

Always a keen painter himself, both in oils and watercolours, Mr Holt was happy to support local artists looking to sell their work. But it was the framing side of the business that had taken off in recent years.