Ian Campbell, chairman of European Pig Producers in Britain, sent the following note to colleagues in the European Pig Producers Association:

Dear All, It is with great regret that I must inform you that our good friend and colleague, Jim Dewhirst, passed away on 12 December. He never recovered consciousness after his stroke but had been moved to a hospital close to home so hopefully would have had some knowledge of his family being there with him.

Jim was special – so much the archetypal English gentleman and a marvellous figurehead for our European Pig Producers branch; we are going to miss him, in NPA, the English pig industry, and within the wider Europe.

Our thoughts will be with his family now.