Tribute to missing plane father

Arthur Coakley stayed in Stonehaven while working in Aberdeen

Tribute has been paid to a businessman based in north east Scotland believed to have been on the Air France plane that disappeared over the Atlantic.

Arthur Coakley, 61, was a founding director of Aberdeen-based oil industry company Project Design and Management Services Limited.

Mr Coakley, of Whitby in North Yorkshire, stayed in Stonehaven while at work in Aberdeen.

His wife Patricia said he was "idolised and worshipped" by their children.

The flight left Brazil's Rio de Janeiro for Paris on Sunday evening, but disappeared.

Mrs Coakley said the news had devastated their sons, Dominic, 31, and Patrick, 29, and daughter Mise, 25.

'Great privilege'

She said: "They are distraught. He's not going to come back.

"Yesterday I was really optimistic, today maybe more realistic. I would love him to come back."

Company directors Dave MacKay, Mark Lunney and Ken Pearce said in a statement: "Arthur was one of the most fastidious, conscientious and professional engineers in the industry, it has been a great privilege to work with him.

"As directors we take a hands on approach to business, Arthur's ability to define a concept and lead others in delivering one-off projects for clients led to a close knit team delivering highly focused solutions.

Patricia Coakley said her family had been left distraught

"The oil and gas industry benefited greatly from Arthur Coakley bespoke designs. Arthur was in Brazil to make sure one of his current projects was properly completed."

They went on: "Arthur's commitment to the business was obvious, spending a lot of time completing offshore and overseas surveys, often at the expense of time at home with his family.

"Outside work Arthur was a gregarious character with a cracking sense of humour.

"A caring family man with two grown up sons and a daughter, his passion outside work was sailing and his intent for retirement was to find the right yacht and moor it in the sun."

Aberdeen-based undersea engineering firm Subsea 7 said one of its employees, Graham Gardner, from Gourock, was also on the plane.

Joyce Gardner, 51, paid tribute to a "loving, caring" husband.