TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who died near Winchester last week after falling from his bicycle.

James Tiles, of Duke Street in Micheldever, was found on Trickets Lane near the junction for Weston Colley, between Sutton Scotney and Micheldever, at around 4pm last Monday (January 13).

It’s believed the 69-year-old, who was also known as Jim, died after coming off his bike though the police do not believe another vehicle was involved.

In a statement, his family said: “Dr James (Jim) Tiles, was the other half of Dr Mary Tiles to whom he was married for almost 45 years and who will be incomplete without him.

“A US citizen, he first came to the UK in 1966 as a Marshal Scholar to study Mathematics and Philosophy at the University of Bristol. His doctorate was from the University of Oxford. He taught Philosophy at the University of Reading until 1989 and then at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa until he retired in 2010.

“He was a dedicated, conscientious and very patient teacher who continued to work, after settling in Winchester and Micheldever, as a private mathematics tutor and as volunteer mathematics assistant at the Peter Symonds ACE centre.

He was also an active volunteer member of the Army Training Regiment (Winchester) Independent Advisory Panel.

“However, like his father, he also loved to make things – mostly from wood – and was never happier than when in his workshop. He walked, cycled, dug the allotment and even did the ironing (but drew the line at cooking).”

Police would like to hear from the driver of a small, dark coloured hatchback car, possibly a Fiat or Fiesta, in connection with the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sergeant Barry Long, at the Whitchurch Roads Policing unit, quoting Operation Bradl, on 101.