A POPULAR Hexham businessman who was known as a “gentle giant” by colleagues and friends has died of coronavirus in a Spanish hospital.

Colleagues of Angus Webb (45) said they were heartbroken after hearing the news that Mr Webb died in Spain last Wednesday after contracting Covid-19.

The founder and managing director of online research supplier, Hexham-based Panelbase, had family connections in Spain and had been there before lockdown measures were introduced.

His colleague John Raglan, co-founder of DRG – Panelbase’s parent company – said Mr Webb had asthma and had taken ill with a chest infection while there. On his first visit to hospital, he tested negative for coronavirus, but when his condition worsened and he returned to hospital he tested positive.

Mr Raglan said: “We are all devastated; a lot of us in the company can’t really come to terms with the idea.”

Mr Webb, who was originally from North Tyneside, lived in Hexham close to where his company was based at Hexham Business Park, off Burn Lane.

He joined DRG, which was then known as Dipsticks Research, over 17 years ago as a graduate following completion of his degree at Northumbria University.

After 18 months, he was invited to join the board of directors, and he went on to set up DRG’s online consumer research panel company, Panelbase.

“Panelbase was Angus’ baby,” said Mr Raglan. “He developed the idea back in 2005 and he wrote the software for it, because he comes from an IT background, and that software is what is still runs on today. He grew it from nothing to having 300,000 UK members and being a multi-million pound global business.

“We have had over 500 emails from clients expressing their condolences. Angus was a big guy – he stood well over 6ft tall and he was muscular – and one expression they use again and again is that he was a gentle giant. He was very sensitive, a very intelligent and clever guy who people really warmed to.

“He was very sociable and loved entertaining. We are all heartbroken.”