Former international pole vaulter Jeff Fenge has died suddenly at the age of 63.

The former Hercules Wimbledon athlete suffered a heart attack during one of his regular rifle shooting sessions at Bisley.

He felt unwell and walked back into the office there where he collapsed. An air ambulance was called but paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

His younger brother John said: "Jeff had no history of angina or cardiac problems. He didn't drink or smoke.

“It seems there was a build up of cholesterol which caused a blood clot. His death was a real shock. He spent a lot of time since he gave up athletics shooting. He was in the TA."

Fenge was born at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, in October 1946.

At the time of his death he lived in Raynes Park with his wife.

He had two grown-up children and two grandchildren. His funeral took place at the North East Surrey Crematorium, Morden.

Fenge joined the Army when he was 15 on leaving the former Hillcroft Secondary School, Tooting and it was there he began pole vaulting.

He won the AAA Junior title at Crystal Palace in 1964 clearing 3.96m. He improved his personal best to 4.26m at a meeting at Carshalton Arena the following year.

He was Surrey senior champion in 1968 and was runner-up in in both 1967 and 1969.

He again improved his pole vault best to 4.42m at a meeting at Crystal Palace in September 1969 which ranked him fifth in the UK. He also had a crack at the decathlon in 1969 and took the silver medal in the Surrey championship which was held at Tooting Bec.

He won the Southern senior pole vault title at Motspur Park in 1970 with a 4.26m clearance.

In 1971 he improved his personal best to 4.45m and was ranked eighth equal in the UK that year.

He was a regular member of Hercules Wimbledon's British Athletics League teams in 1971 and 1972 and in 1972 improved his pole vault best to 4.61m which ranked him seventh in the UK that year.

He was ranked fourth in the UK in 1974 as a result of winning a pole vault event at Woking in September with 4.71m.

Fenge's best year was 1975 when he represented Britain four times - in the British International Games in May where he was third equal with 4.50m, against France in Dieppe where he was also fourth with 4.70m, in the Philips Golden International Games at Crystal Palace in July where he was fourth equal with 4.60m and in a match against the Soviet Union at Crystal Palace in August when he was fourth with 4.60m.

He was also runner-up for Surrey in the Inter-Counties championships which were staged at Crystal Palace that year. At the end of the season he again improved his lifetime best in winning a competition at Woking with 4.80m which still stands as the Hercules Wimbledon club record.

Fenge, who was also a competent sprint hurdler and long and triple jumper, enjoyed only two more seasons in athletics retiring at the end of the 1977 summer.

Brother John said: "Once Jeff found he was not improving he could not carry on performing at a lower level."

After he left the army he worked initially for his father's building company and then as an engineer for BT taking early retired a few years ago.

During his time in the army, Jeff Fenge was a member of the high successful 21 Signal Regiment team which won the Army team championship a record nine consecutive years.

Fenge was one of three pole vault internationals Hercules Wimbledon boasted 40 years ago. The others were Martin Higdon who won the inter-counties title four times from 1967 to 1970 and Peter Lyons.

Hercules Wimbledon athletes will be in action in the Ellis Men's Trophy and Dysart Women's Cup cross country races in Richmond Park on Saturday.