The founder of Lilliput Lane, David Tate, has died at the age of 72.

Mr Tate created the miniature cottages range in Penrith in 1982, starting with 20 employees.

The business boomed, with that number growing to 600, and the company had a factory at Lillyhall, and 75,000 collectors worldwide.

He was made an MBE in the late 1980s for business and creating jobs.

Family and friends said Mr Tate, of Brampton, would be remembered as a generous man of exceptional ability and determination, who loved colour and nature.

Whether it was gardening, cooking or woodwork, they said he could turn his hand to anything and make a success of it.

His wife Sandra said: “Some people have lived to 100 years and haven’t done half of what he’s done. The 72 years he had were full.”

Daughters Debbie Radcliffe, 51, and Jeanette Berry, 50, said their dad was a man of immense talent, vision and dedication.

Mr Tate died at home on Tuesday holding his wife’s hand and surrounded by his family, as he wanted.

He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008.

Treatment gave him another nine years but the cancer came back and spread throughout his body.

Although Mr Tate had been unwell for the last few years and had difficulty walking, he remained active.

He was in his garden workshop the Wednesday before he died and had a cataract operation on the Thursday. But after returning home he didn’t get out of bed.

The family wanted to thank the medical staff for their care.

The funeral will be at Carlisle Crematorium at 1.40pm on Wednesday.

A celebration of his life will be held at Penrith Methodist Church from 2pm on February 25. Crafts that he made recently will be auctioned off for charity.