ONE of the south coast’s most successful businessmen, Leon Crouch, has died at the age of 70.

Mr Crouch was born and raised in Lymington and made his fortune as a major employer in the New Forest town, founding the Fullers Group in 1978 specialising in precision-engineered products.

In 2015 he sold his company Lymington Precision Engineers (LPE), which employed more than 220 people, for around £46m.

Mr Crouch was also a lifelong Southampton FC fan and paid more than £1.6m to purchase a significant stake in the club in 2006 and became acting chairman in March 2007 during a turbulent period at St Mary’s.

As well as this, he gave generously to charity, was previously a town councillor and served as a trustee of Friends of Lymington New Forest Hospital.