David Maskery was the owner of the award-winning Rumburgh Buck near Halesworth and the Ringsfield Tavern near Beccles.

He started his pub career in 1982 at the age of 21 at the 500 year-old Huntsman and Hounds in Spexhall, Suffolk, which he ran in partnership with Jan and David Batley.

From then on, he ran other well-known local pubs such as The Huntingfield Arms, Cratfield Poacher, Weybread Crown, Wortwell Bell, and the Laxfield Royal Oak.

And around 20 years ago, he took on the Rumburgh Buck

One of the pub's regular customers described Mr Maskery as a "real legend in the local pub scene who knew how to run a proper pub".

© Eastern Daily Press