A man whose firm built more than 600 homes, mainly in the Holland-on-Sea area, has died.

The funeral service for builder Bill Cane, who was 87, takes place on Friday at Weeley Crematorium.

His houses were often referred to as Cane Built by estate agents in recognition of their high quality.

In his later years, Mr Cane became a director of Clacton Building Society and Colchester Equitable Building Society.

He was born in Colchester, and after serving a seven-year apprenticeship with Paxman's, Mr Cane became a self-employed plumber.

During the late 1930s, he found there was more work available in the Clacton area, and it was in the Blue Lagoon dance hall that he met his wife-to-be, Florence. They married in April 1939.

After Army service during the war, Mr Cane moved to Holland-on-Sea where he became interested in building alterations and formed his company, W A Cane Builders, which became a limited company in 1960.

Mr Cane retired in 1978, after being that year's president of Tendring Building Federation.

In his spare time he enjoyed the occasional game of snooker and pint with friends in the Clacton Club, and was a supporter of Colchester United and Ipswich Town football clubs.

Mr Cane, whose wife died in 1999, leaves two sons, Clive and Richard, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The couple's daughter, Anne, died in 1988.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.