FORMER Welsh international and Gwent county darts player Allan Plant has died at the age of 76.

Mr Plant represented Wales on eight occasions and was also well known in his later years for his darts accessories business.

He was a familiar figure with his wife Shirley at his darts stall, especially at the Welsh Open event in Prestatyn.

The couple were married for almost 50 years before Mrs Plant died in 2008.

They leave behind children Stephen, William, Melvin and Darral, 15 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

The funeral was held on Tuesday at Lliswerry Baptist Church and Mr Plant was buried at Christchurch Cemetery in Newport.

Mr Plant was born in New Tredegar in 1939 to his parents Doris and Irvin, joining his sisters Iris and Norah and brother Victor.

His love of darts started in childhood and his first dart board was a telegraph pole outside his home.

He was also a very handy snooker player but chose to concentrate on his darts

Mr Plant went from school to working as a miner, spending about five years below ground.

He then met Shirley Stook and they married in 1961 and he began working on the construction site of Llanwern Steel Works.

They moved to Newport in 1965 and it was throughout the 1970s and early 1980s that Mr Plant was most active in the Newport darts scene, winning countless trophies in singles and in pairs, where he and Tony Ridler enjoyed great success.

As a proud Welshman, the pinnacle for him was being selected to play for Wales at a time when he was ranked joint 18th in the world, along with another left handed player – Alan Glazier.

As the remainder of the top 20 were right handed players, Mr Plant and Mr Glazier were effectively the best left handed darts players in the world.

On one occasion he even played right handed for Wales when his left hand was injured.

Years later Mr Plant was also proud to serve as an official of the Welsh Darts Organisation

And that passion for the sport saw the Plants start their own business selling darts equipment at Merthyr Tydfil market and in Porthcawl.

A tribute on the British Darts Organisation website reads: “In conjunction with the Welsh Darts Organisation, the BDO are saddened to announce the passing of former Welsh International and Gwent county player Allan Plant – a larger than life character who lived life to the full.”

A statement from the Plant family reads: "There are many fond memories we will have of dad, but mostly it was his ability to make people laugh.

"He was the consummate story teller, and he was keen to share them with whoever he met.

"We are very proud of his achievements in darts too, and that with mam, his partner in everything, they were able to make a living out of it.

"He and our mam will be greatly missed."