A HIGHLY successful financier, who was a benefactor of the Pelican Cancer Foundation in Basingstoke, has died at the age of 81.

Staff at the foundation, based at Basingstoke hospital, paid tribute to long-term supporter Roger Brooke OBE, who was on the board of trustees for 13 years.

Mr Brooke, who lived in Northington, founded Candover Investments in 1980 and had many other business interests, including involvement in the ownership of Wembley stadium during a controversial period in the 1990s.

Pelican chief executive Sarah Crane said that Mr Brooke’s knowledge of business and finance was “invaluable” to the foundation, based in The Ark Conference Centre.

She said: “It was with great sadness that the Pelican team learned of the death of Roger Brooke. His presence at meetings was highly valued and he will be greatly missed.”

Mrs Crane said Mr Brooke had been a generous funder of Pelican’s prostate cancer research programme. She added: “Roger’s support was fundamental to advancing improvements in the treatment of prostate cancer. He was involved in the early days of the development of the innovative treatment using ultrasound to destroy prostate tumours. “His input has had a major impact on how men with prostate cancer are treated today.”

Mr Brooke, who was chairman of Northington Parish Council, was awarded an OBE in 2004 for his charitable and community work.