The Forest is in shock following the death of inspirational road safety campaigner Jimmy Martin, who co-founded the pioneering charity Time and Place.

The 67-year-old granddad, who was born in Lydbrook, died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on Saturday after collapsing at his home. It was just a week before he was due to retire as a driving instructor.

Jimmy and his co-founder Mike Webb launched Time and Place in 2005 following the deaths of 19 teenagers on Forest roads.

In 2007 the charity won a Prince Michael of Kent road safety award after being nominated by Garry Handley, from the county council's Road Safety Partnership.

"We have lost one of the most genuine, nicest, honest and hardest working people that anyone could ever wish to meet," said Garry.

"From the very first moment that I had the pleasure of meeting him I knew that Jimmy was a man that truly wanted to make a difference and it was absolutely clear to me that he wanted to do his very best to prevent these accidents from happening.

"He worked so tirelessly with an absolute commitment to helping people. I feel that I have lost a friend, a colleague and an inspiration, and I know that he will be sadly missed by all of my colleagues.

"Jimmy was the heart of Time and Place and nobody would doubt its successes. I hope that his legacy is that people will continue to use the roads even more carefully forever more."

Treasurer for Time and Place Rosemary Snowdon said: "Jimmy was at the very heart of the charity and was the rock that it was built on.

"He worked tirelessly for Time and Place and through his hard work we won the Prince Michael of Kent road safety award. He was thrilled to bits recently when the charity was brought into the road safety partnership, and he was working right up until last week on trying to get the driving centre in Lydney off the ground.

"He will be so very much missed and we will be carrying on at Time and Place in Jimmy's name."

Jimmy leaves his wife, Christine, two daughters Corinna and Tracey, and three grandchildren Sabrina, 15, Zackery, nine and five-year-old Alana.

"He was always a caring dad to us and would do anything for anyone," said Corinna.

"He would put others before himself and was quite strong-minded and stubborn at times. He had a special love for children and his grandchildren meant so much to him."

Jimmy lived in Lydbrook for most of his life, except for five years after getting married when he and Christine lived in The Pludds.

As a young man he played football for Lydbrook Athletic and began his career as an electrician working for Hodges of Coleford before training as a driving instructor in 1988. He moved to Hardwicke 16 months ago to be closer to his daughters.

"He was not one of those people you would think would step out of a crowd and get onto a stage," said his nephew Mark Monk.

"Because he felt passionately about road safety, he stepped out of his comfort zone into a territory that was totally alien to himself.

"He had dreams of creating a driving school in wasteland outside of Lydney and I think he became frustrated by a lack of progress with it. But I think Time and Place will regroup and continue their good work."

Jimmy's family are organising his funeral and have asked those who wish to attend to contact Ernest Heal and Sons for more details.