A RETIRED Army major who continued to work at his regimental headquarters well after he left the ranks has died.

Maj Brian Sayers died suddenly on Tuesday, March 3 at Worcestershire Royal Hospital after a battle against cancer.

The 66-year-old served with the Worcestershire Regiment from 1954 to 1960.

He served in Germany and the West Indies, leaving with the rank of Sergeant.

Maj Sayers, of Leigh Sinton Road, Malvern Link, joined the then Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers branch of the Territorial Army in 1971 as a Sergeant.

He rose through the ranks to Major and was a company commander at the Silver Street base.

"I only have his records up to 1980 when he was a captain but we know he reached major because after retiring he worked for us here at the regimental headquarters as our bookkeeper," said Major Bob Prophet, of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters.

"He came once a week to the Norton headquarters for the last six or seven years.

"Although I'd only known him for a couple of years I'd come to know him as a close personal friend.

"He was very thorough and precise. He was proud of being a soldier in the regiment.

"The military has been his life."

Maj Prophet said the Maj Sayers had also worked with other organisations such as the Scouts and the WRVS.

After leaving the regular Army he worked for Lloyds Bank, mostly at the branch at The Cross, Worcester.

"He was a very pleasant chap and nothing was too much trouble for him," he said.

"We knew he had cancer but he was still doing things.

"His death was very sudden. One of our other volunteers visited him three days before he died and he was almost running around."

Maj Sayers leaves a wife, Mary, two daughters, Michelle and Jo, and three grandchildren.

"He went before he became ill enough to be totally dependent on anybody," said Mrs Sayers.

"He had been diagnosed for about 18 months but he kept on going.

"We knew he had been ill for a long time and the doctors kept giving him six months, but I suppose we thought the six months would keep on going."