Blue Bell Group has announced the sad death of its founder and chairman, Chris Brownson, aged 83.

His death follows the loss of his wife and group managing director, Sue Brownson OBE, to cancer earlier this year.

In a statement Blue Bell, which has BMW and Mini dealerships in Crewe and Wilmslow, said the Brownson family will continue to be active within the company.

Anthony Brownson steps into the role of chairman, with support from his sisters, Sophie Hill and Lucy Stanistreet. He said “We will continue to focus on the family atmosphere within the team at Blue Bell and aim to maintain this legacy for many years to come.”

Barry Holt, dealer principal at Crewe, and Andrew Crowe, dealer principal at Wilmslow express their deep sadness and thank staff and customers, suppliers and friends for their ongoing support.

The Blue Bell brand has always been synonymous with family values and attention to detail. The company evolved into a BMW dealership in 1975 and since then numerous awards have been achieved for excellent customer service.

The company continues to go from strength to strength with a staff of over 240, described once by Sue as “One huge family.”