MOTORHEAD have paid tribute to their longtime sound engineer Dave ‘Hobbsy’ Hilsden who has died.

Hilsden had been an integral part of the group for three decades and filled in several positions with the band including accountant, tour manager and crew boss.

Guitarist Phil Campbell broke the news on Twitter, saying: “Our longtime engineer Dave Hilsden aka Hobbsy has sadly passed away. He gave 30 years of his life to Motorhead. He was a good guy. RIP.”

And on their official Facebook page, the band paid tribute to Hilsden, calling him a “treasure.”

The statement reads: “All of us in the Motorhead family send our condolences to the Hilsden family. Hobbs was a treasure, a unique and wonderful man. He will be sorely missed.”

Speaking on the Motorhead DVD Stage Fright which was released in 2005 to mark the group’s 30th anniversary, Hilsden revealed why he had stayed with the band over the years. He said: “I really like the band. I really like Lemmy – he’s an amazing guy. That’s why I’ve stayed with them for so long. I don’t listen to their records, but I love them live.”

Along with his work with Motorhead, Hilsden worked with Black Sabbath and Doctors Of Madness.

MOTORHEAD released recently photos and video snippets from the studio as they continue to work on their 22nd album.