Peter Bateson, former fleet manager for DeLaRue plc, has died after a two-year illness. He was 63.

Mr Bateson worked for 19 years as a chauffeur for Sir Henry Marking, the first chief executive of British Airways, before moving to Honeywell.

He moved into fleet management at DeLaRue, the banknote and secure document printer, in 2004 and joined the Institute of Car Fleet Management to accelerate his learning.

A regular entrant in the Fleet News awards, Mr Bateson was commended for his achievements in health and safety and duty of care.

His policies and best practice saved the company over £1 million in the UK and were adopted by DeLaRue worldwide.

He leaves a wife, Deborah, and children Tom, Julia, Mike and David.