Belhaven brewery boss Jeff Myers dies of heart attack

A BREWERY boss credited with helping to drive the success of the Belhaven brand has died in his sleep aged 48.

Jeff Myers, managing director of Belhaven Pubs, suffered heart failure in the early hours last Friday morning while at home in Stirling with his partner, Vicky, and two children Rachel, three, and Josh, 16.

Colleagues spoke of a man who had "transformed" the pubs business of Belhaven from a small, local company into one of Scotland's biggest players.

"He was a very talented guy and he will be sorely missed by everyone at Belhaven," said Euan Venters, managing director of the company. "He was instrumental in significantly building up the pubs business. It was a huge shock for everyone."

Mr Myers, who was previously employed by rival brewery Scottish & Newcastle, joined Belhaven in 1995 and built up the company's pubs business from just a few outlets to a 330-strong chain.