A Dudley College lecturer died today after apparently suffering a heart attack at the wheel of his car as he tried to turn it round in his drive.

The 67-year-old, named locally as John Richards, ended up careering into a neighbour’s front garden in Himley Road, Lower Gornal.

Rush hour traffic tailed back for hundreds of yards following the accident just before 8am. Friends and colleagues said Mr Richards, who had just retired from Dudley College, lived with wife and fellow college lecturer Mavis and had two adult sons and three grandchildren.

A member of the Labour Party for most of his life, he was described today by neighbours as a keen walker who often returned to his native Wales.

Veteran Labour Councillor Ken Finch had known Mr Richards for 25 years and said he had seen him last Sunday at a garden party hosted by Dudley North MP Ian Austin. “This has come as a huge shock and I have just gone cold,” he said.

“When I saw him on Sunday he was just typical John and was happily chatting away to my granddaughter. John was a very intelligent and educated man who was very likable and would help anyone if he could. Whatever he got involved with, he gave 100 per cent.

“He will be sadly missed. In fact, I can honestly say John can never be replaced.

“I would offer my sincere sympathies to Mavis and the rest of the family and my thoughts are with them.”

He added Mr Richards was an active member of the Gornal Labour Party branch and was also secretary of the Gornal Windmill Trust, through which he was spearheading a bid for cash to restore the historic landmark.

Next door neighbour and former solicitor Geoff Davies said that he was awoken by the noise of the accident and looked out to see Mr Richard’s car in his shrubbery. “We went out of the house and saw Mr Richards at the wheel and realised he must have suffered some kind of heart attack. We tried to phone his wife, but couldn’t get through and called 999. They were here within a couple of minutes, but there was clearly nothing they could do,” he added.