A BUST of Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery founder David Grubb sat atop his boat in the car park of a North Berwick hotel as the 59-year-old was laid to rest.

David Grubb passed away on January 19 after being diagnosed with cancer.

His funeral service was held at the town’s Abbey Church on Friday.

About 300 people attended the service before enjoying refreshments at the Nether Abbey Hotel.

Mr Grubb, who founded Scorpio Safety Systems in Wallyford, had three sons – Euan, Harry and Jack – and was previously involved in coaching children’s rugby in North Berwick.

His wife Lesley was among those paying tribute to him.

She said: “He was a grafter, very hard-working and entrepreneurial. He built up a thriving business from nothing.

“He was determined and had a huge optimism and huge enthusiasm for everything really that he went at.

“He always approached it with enthusiasm and determination.

“He was a man who, if he said he would do something, he would do his best to do it.

“He always had lots of ideas – some of them more feasible than others!”

Parked outside the hotel on the town’s Dirleton Avenue following the funeral was a blue boat which had been owned by Mr Grubb, complete with a bust.

READ MORE: Boat tribute paid to founder of Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery

The bust was based on a photograph taken of David on an underwater camera off the coast of Sardinia.

Lesley said: “The bust was made when David knew he wasn’t going to get better and was done with humour.

“When he found out how unwell he was he decided to put in a plan he’d had for some time: get a bronze statue made, modelled off an old diving photo taken of him over 30 years ago by a good friend.

“He asked us to find a sculptor but told us not to worry about sourcing the bronze because he already had that covered!”

Lesley described her husband of 32 years as “a lifelong lover of the water, the sea and boats”.

Mr Grubb loved scuba diving and being out on the water.

The family live in North Berwick and Lesley said: “He used to phone me in the afternoon in the summer and ask for a weather report.

“If conditions were right, he was down the road in a shot.

“He would say ‘get the kids into the wetsuits’ and they would go out.

“He never missed an opportunity.”