Born in London and educated at St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate and University College, Cardiff. Served in the Royal Artillery. Between 1961-64 he did postgraduate research and acted as a Demonstrator in Zoology, University College, Cardiff. From 1964 he has worked in the Zoology Department of the NMW, firstly as Assistant Keeper (until 1982) and later as head of the sub-department of entomology.

The first beetle he ever collected was Stenelmis canaliculata Gyll. at Windermere in 1960 which proved to be new to the British list (EMM, 96, 1960, 141-44) 'Unfortunately' he said ' it has not proved possible to keep adding to the British fauna at the same rate since then!'

His work in the museum involved 'the organisation, revision, curation and investigation into the historical significance of the British Coleoptera collections'.  In 1975 he published with G.C.Boon 'C.O.Waterhouse's List of Insects from Silchester', J. Archaeological Science, 2, 1975, 129-36,

FRES 1965. (Information provided by AFA before 2000)

There are 26 pages of correspondence with Colin Johnson in MUNHM (Box 13) dated 1979-1982, 1984-90. (MD 1/22)