Cause uncertain of air crash that killed cyclist Nigel

The family of a Hemel Hempstead man who was killed in a plane crash in Africa have paid tribute to a loving father and husband.

Nigel Clout, 53, of Hunters Oak, died when the light aircraft he was flying in crashed in Malawi last week.

Yesterday (Tuesday), his wife Margaret and two daughters, Jenny, 21, and Victoria, 23, described him as a popular and helpful man who lived life to the full.

Jenny said: "He was always full of fun and everyone loved him – even our friends, despite the fact that he would take every opportunity to challenge them to some sort of sporting adventure including early morning Sunday bike rides."

Victoria added: "Even at work he managed to think about 'play' and made us a fantastic sledge, which out-performed everyone else's in the snow.

"Our friends nicknamed him 'Nigel the Legend', and he was.

"We love him so much and he will be so missed."

Mr Clout, a past pupil of Halsey School, had lived in Hemel Hempstead all his life and was well known in the town.

He was a sales and marketing director for moulding machinery firm Formech in Harpenden.

Head of finance at Formech, Simon Fennell, said: "He was a good colleague and professional.

"He was the driving force behind making sure we got new customers."

Mr Fennell added that Mr Clout had a passion for cycling and had first met the managing director of Formech, Paul Vukovich, through a circle of bike-riding friends.

"It was certainly the love of his life in sport terms," said Mr Fennell.

Mr Clout, who travelled the globe to cycle, had gone to Malawi on a bike-riding tour.

He was killed along with two friends when the small plane
they were flying in crashed on Saturday afternoon (June 16).

It is believed the party were on a sightseeing trip from the capital city of Lilongwe to the north of the country when the accident happened, reportedly in bad weather.

Two other British tourists and a Canadian pilot were also killed in the light aircraft crash.

A police spokesman in Malawi said wreckage of the plane was found by villagers in a valley and that there were no survivors.

The other victims of the plane crash included the son of Labour peer Lord Turnberg, 37-year-old Daniel Turnberg.

A Foreign Office spokesman said on Monday that the British High Commissioner and Vice Consul in Malawi had travelled to the site of the plane crash and were in close contact with the country's authorities.

Malawi's chief aviation officer, Raymond Phesele, said this week that the cause of the crash was being investigated.