Obituaries Richard Webb 1959 2017 Tributes have poured in for dedicated and tenacious trading standards officer Richard Webb, who died in a flying accident. Richard built a wide and varied career in trading standards, having worked in both the public and private sectors. He covered some particularly challenging areas, such as second-hand car fraud investigation and, more recently, in policy implementation for Tesco. Beneath Richards quiet self-assurance and constant good humour was a tenacious and dogged fighter on behalf of the public. It was a determination and dedication that remained with him throughout his career, and that earned him the respect of colleagues and friends. Despite travelling extensively with work and living in various parts of the UK most recently Hertfordshire Richard remained a Black Country boy at heart. He grew up there, and started his career in the planning department at Wolverhampton Council, before transferring to trading standards where he trained and qualified in the profession he would pursue for the rest of his life. As a TSO, he worked for departments in Hereford and Worcester before returning to Wolverhampton and then Birmingham Trading Standards. One colleague, Peter Holmes, recalls him as a thoughtful principal TSO in the motor vehicle investigations team, who cared passionately about the job he did. He said: A lot of his work centred on investigating traders selling clocked, misdescribed or unroadworthy cars. Richard always gained the most satisfaction from negotiating refunds for consumers after traders had sold them faulty vehicles. He was very tenacious and fought hard for members of the public if they had been treated unfairly. This was a reflection of his caring attitude. He was thoroughly professional, yet kept us all amused in the office with his Black Country sense of humour. He was a pleasure to work alongside. Richard was working in the product safety team in Birmingham when he was lured to the private sector by Lawlabs (later Bodycote, then Exova), where he worked as a principal adviser for 12 years. Colleagues recall someone who always generously shared their knowledge and encouraged less experienced members of the team. Tess Lawrence recalled: Richard had a great appetite for life. He wasvery much of the belief that the role should be about the prevention of problems rather than the reaction to them. He took great satisfaction in heading problems off at the pass and was known for his encyclopaedic knowledge. In 2010, Richard became trading standards and compliance officer at Morrisons supermarket before joining the Tesco Group, managing the implementation of technical and science-based policies across the business. While there, he represented UK retailing as the chair of the EuroCommerce for Non-Food Committee, and continued to act as a mentor for younger and less experienced colleagues. Jason Tarry, Tescos chief product officer, remembered Richard who was known for his varied hobbies and interests as very passionate about the environment and about making a difference. This really shone through in his work during his two years with Tesco. He was loved for his wit, wisdom and great sense of humour, Tarry said. He was a true adventurer and loved living life to the full. He was also incredibly supportive towards his colleagues, and was seen as the go-to person in the team. Richard leaves a partner, Fiona, and daughter Victoria and son Matthew, from his marriage to Karen. Compiled by Fiona Kibby. Credits Image: To share this page, click on the toolbar