Bob Ballantyne survived the Piper Alpha disaster

Bob Ballantyne, who was 61, escaped the burning North Sea platform on which 167 died, by jumping into the sea.

He first sprang to public prominence a few days later when he spoke out about having smelled gas on the platform in the days leading up to the explosions.

He gave evidence to the Piper Alpha inquiry and became a prominent critic of North Sea safety standards.

Frustration and loss

A friend of Mr Ballantyne's, former union activist Ronnie MacDonald, said he was vocal in his campaigning.

"After Piper Alpha, he was exposed to a great deal of media attention as he articulated the anger and frustration and loss of the Piper Alpha families," he said.

"He had in actual fact been campaigning about safety long before Piper Alpha and one of the most memorable statements he made was 'you did not listen to us before the disaster, perhaps you'll listen to us now'."

Mr Ballantyne was an electrician on the North Sea oil platform which caught fire 16 years ago with disastrous consequences.

167 oil workers died in the platform disaster

He spoke out about having smelled gas on the platform in the days leading up to the explosions which destroyed it in July 1988.

He never returned to work offshore after Piper Alpha, instead taking an MA degree in Cultural History at Aberdeen University.

More recently he was running a company taking people on tours of old Aberdeen.

His wife Pat said she is now determined to pass her driving test so she can continue his business.