BOB Hardman, the voice and the front man of North-East amateur boxing, has died shortly before his finest hours were due to come all at once. He was 60.

Bob, MC at most fight nights in the region, had been chosen to do the job at this year's national ABA quarter finals, semi-finals and finals.

"You just couldn't get any higher. It was like a football referee being given the FA Cup final and both semi-finals as well," said North-East ABA secretary Ron Harvey.

"I'm certain that after that he'd have been in line for next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester."

Bob, who lived in Meadowfield, near Durham, had been both pitman and prison officer. When Mad Frankie Fraser was Spennymoor Amateur Boxing Academy's annual presentation speaker last summer, he observed that he'd spent years helping keep him locked up and they'd made him guest of honour.

"He was a lovely man, an old school gentleman who really enjoyed his boxing," said Ron. "Bob did things correctly but knew how to inject a little bit of humour."

When asked to be MC at a professional tournament, Bob gave the fee to one of the charities for which he had helped raise many thousand pounds.

His funeral is at St Andrew's Methodist church, Brandon, at 11am on Monday.