A popular teacher who taught generations of pupils at the same school for 37 years has died. Tony Wade, who was 81, was not only a feared but beloved teacher at Barwell Junior School from the early 1960s to the late 1990s but was also a well-known character around the Hinckley area.

His daughter, Kerry Watt, described how Tony, who was 6ft 4ins tall, used to go on long daily runs, dressed in Army boots and a large rucksack. She revealed how he would also stop and chat with people in Hinckley town centre.

She said: "Tony was my step-dad and as a child he taught me at the school. He was very tall so he was like a giant to all the little children. My mum was a dinner lady at the school and they got married when I was about 10. People knew him as this giant, mad runner. I would be so embarrassed!"

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Kerry, 57, who now lives in Edinburgh, said she had been overwhelmed by the messages she received on Facebook after she shared the news of Tony's death. She said: "He must have taught about 1,500 children over the years and there were pupils who were the children of his former pupils.

"He worked at the same school his whole career and so many people have said lovely things about him. Other people knew him from just seeing him walking through Hinckley. He would chat to people and he had a way of being remembered!

"He was known by so many as the mad teacher who ran in his Army gear with a rucksack from Burbage to Barwell every day and was the strictest teacher anyone had ever known. He seemed like a giant and quite scary but ask any ex-pupil and they give you some wonderful memories."

Tony, who was born in North Wales in 1943, retired in 1993 and cared for his sick mother during his retirement before suffering with a long illness himself.

Since news of his death emerged, tributes have flooded in online from former students. One said: "So sorry to hear this. Mr Wade was one of my favourite teachers and taught me in the early 90s. He always told us his name was Aloysius Winklepicker Wade."

Another said: "Brilliant teacher. Although we were all slightly terrified of him because he once clouted the most annoying kid in our class round the head. We would see him march home from school every night, rain or shine, in his shorts! Legend!"

A third said: "I remember on my last day he caught me not listening he called me to the front of the class. I thought 'I’m going to get slapped legs' but he gave me a piece of chalk and said good luck. I was so relieved."