A CIVIL engineer who played a key role in developing the UK's first stretch of motorway has died, aged 87.

The funeral of Richard Wordsworth MBE took place in Ribchester on Wednesday. He had died of pneumonia.

A civil engineer for Lancashire County Council for most of his working life, he played a key part in developing the first stretch of motorway in the UK -- the Preston bypass which later became part of the M6.

But it wasn't only in the UK that his eye for design came in useful.

During the Second World War, he served in the Royal Engineers building roads and bridges in Italy, North Africa and Albania. A member of the Territorial Army, he was awarded the Territorial Decoration and rose through the ranks to major.

It was for his work at the county council that Mr Wordsworth, who moved to Ribchester in 1960, was awarded the MBE. His daughter, Judith Freeman, also of Ribchester, said his death in some ways was a 'blessing' because he had become irritated at slowly losing his independence and mobility.

She said: "He had always been a very active man and it was starting to annoy him. He had never been ill.

"A few years ago we took him to the Royal Preston Hospital and they were amazed that they didn't have any record of him, even though he was 84. He hadn't been to hospital since 1944.

"The MBE was a wonderful honour and one of the proudest days of his life." Donations in lieu of flowers were made to the 'Faith and Heritage Appeal' for St Wilfrid's, Ribchester, and St Saviour, Stydd, which need £200,000 between them to stop them crumbling.