A CIVIL engineer instrumental in the purchasing and refurbishment of Anglesey's Thomas Telford Centre has died.

Robert (Bob) Brian Daimond, 74, died on February 19, in the company of his wife Rosemary and his children.

He was former chairman, treasurer and trustee of the Menai Heritage Trust who operate from the Thomas Telford centre in Menai Bridge.

Mr Daimond had been involved with the group since 2005 and helped to develop the centre's collections and exhibitions.

A civil engineer by trade and former Director of Highways for Gwynedd Council, he was involved in promoting engineering through the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

After a lifetime in Local Government, Mr Daimond retired in 2003 to become an independent consultant until 2012. Following official retirement, he was an adviser to the Welsh Local Government Association, the North Wales Unitary Authorities Transport Consortium (TAITH) and co-chair of the County Surveyors Society and National Park Officers Group.

Born and raised in England, he became fluent in Welsh soon after moving to North Wales in 1974 and was inducted into the Gorsedd of the Bards in 2017, for his services to the Welsh Language and Engineering.

Mr Daimond's crowning achievement for the Trust and civil engineering in general is his 2019 book entitled 'Menai Suspension Bridge – The First 200 Years', which tells the full story of the building and later reconstruction of the bridge.

The launch of the book coincided with the anniversary of the first stone laid for the bridge 200 years ago.

A spokesperson for Menai Heritage Trust said: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our former chairman, treasurer and trustee, Bob Daimond. He was also hugely knowledgeable about the two bridges and their designers, Thomas Telford and Robert Stephenson, and enjoyed passing that knowledge on through guided walks around the bridges and school workshops about bridges and engineering in general.

"He drove projects in creating the Trust as a charity and creating and maintaining the nationally recognised museum at the Canolfan Thomas Telford.

"He was a custodian of our heritage and we are incredibly grateful to him for it. His proficiency and passion for civil engineering was infectious, almost palpable, and he has shared his knowledge with generations of budding engineers.

"Bob Daimond will forever have a place in our hearts and in the industry which he loved and gave so much to, we are today so much the poorer without his presence but his memory and the hard work and dedication he gave has benefitted all of us and we are forever grateful. Our thoughts, prayers and condolences to his family at this incredibly sad time."

Fellow Trustee Warren Kovach added: "I've been a trustee alongside Bob at Menai Heritage for six years and always found it a pleasure. He had a vast knowledge about the bridges and their engineers, and enjoyed sharing it very much.

"I worked closely with him on the production and publication of his book about the Menai Bridge, and am very glad that I was able to help him get his magnum opus out.

"The fact that he was able to write this 200 page book in just a few months after he became ill makes it an even more remarkable achievement. It will be his legacy."