WARM tributes have been paid to the Anglesey scientist who invented the breathalyser.
Bangor University chemistry graduate Dr Tom Parry Jones, originally of Menai Bridge, has died aged 77.
A university spokesman said: “Bangor University has lost one of its most distinguished and cherished alumni.”
Dr Jones devised the world's first electronic breathalyser in 1974 and established Lion Laboratories to manufacture and market the product worldwide.
The revolutionary device transforms the chemical formula that each subject causes into an electrical current when breathing out through a tube connected to a machine that calculates the amount of alcohol in the blood.
Dr Tom Parry Jones Endowment Fund at the University to promoting science and engineering entrepreneurship in young people.
The fund has supported a range of activities for school pupils from across north Wales, including the Dr Tom Parry Jones Entrepreneurship Day, the annual Bangor Science Festival and the university’s F1 in Schools day.
The spokesman said: “Tom enjoyed working with budding scientists at all levels, demonstrated by his enthusiasm for meeting school pupils during the Bangor Science Festival’s Ecoscience Day. He was also passionate about giving both pupils and their teachers the opportunity to meet world-class scientists and entrepreneurs.”
Dr Jones, who was appointed an OBE for his work, also supported chemistry students with their studies, through his company PPM Technology.
The spokesman added: “Dr Tom Parry Jones’ worldwide reputation and genuine enthusiasm for developing Wales’ future economy — through ensuring that young people are well supported in developing their scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial skills — made him a treasured alumnus of Bangor University.”