Moorland death of Dawsons worker: tributes

The body of Mr Paul Connor (52) was discovered by a member of the public in a field near to the disused Wiswell Moor Quarry last Tuesday evening (April 1st).

Police confirmed a post-mortem examination established Mr Connor died of natural causes.

Mr Connor worked in the paint department at Dawsons Department Store, King Street, for 30 years. He has been described as a “kind, caring and dedicated” individual by owner Mrs Judith Dawson.

On behalf of his friends and colleagues at the store, she said: “Paul was a lovely person and a wonderful friend to everyone who knew him. His knowledge of paint was second to none and customers would travel from far and wide to benefit from Paul’s expert advice on choosing the right paint colours for their home.

“Paul was extremely loyal, professional and dedicated to his job. In fact, a customer once asked him if he was married and he replied ‘he was married to his job’. In his entire working life, he was never late for work and when he didn’t turn up on Wednesday for work, alarm bells began to ring straight-away. We contacted the police immediately as he lived alone and we were worried about his welfare.”

Mrs Dawson added: “Everyone has been shocked and saddened at his untimely death. He was a wonderful person and one his favourite pastimes was walking. He lived in Wiswell and enjoyed walking on Wiswell Moor. He was also a big “Dr Who” fan. He will be greatly missed by all his friends, customers and everyone who knew him. Dawsons won’t be the same without him.”

An online tribute site has been set up in Paul’s memory. People can post comments by logging onto http://paul-connor.memoryislife.com/

Funeral details have yet to be released.