TRIBUTES have been paid to a long-standing and dedicated member of the Rochford Labour party.

David Weir sadly died at the start of the month. He was 86-years-old.

He served on Essex County Council for eight years as the member for Rochford South and was member of Rochford District Council as well as Rochford and Hawkwell parish councils for 20 years.

During his time as a county and district councillor he fought to preserve the Rochford Green belt and was a key figure in establishing the Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park as chair of the founding committee.

David was a senior shop steward at Matchbox Toys for 14 years until the factory closed. He and wife Myra then bought the Hawkwell Supermarket, which they ran for a further 14 years before retiring.

In retirement David helped Myra to run the Rochford Day Centre until he became ill in 2016.

David was affectionately known by many as ‘Jock’ as he never lost his Scottish accent, despite living most of his life in Rochford.

His commitment to the people and the environment of Rochford earned him enduring respect from all members of the council and the many in the community whop he helped over the years.

David leaves behind his wife, and four daughters.

David Flack, chair of the Rochford Labour party local campaign forum praised David as a man he admired, and who had a hugely positive impact on residents and the community.

He said: “I knew David for a long, long time, and I followed him as county councillor for Rochford South.

“He and his wife Myra are truly exceptional people and David was a fantastic representation of the Labour party.

“We knew we could always rely on David to win seats for the Labour party in areas they would not expect to win seats.

“David was always quick to go above and beyond, and residents could always rely on him to listen to their issues, and take action in their best interests.

“Without doubt one of his biggest achievements was preserving the green belt. He was very knowledgeable about planning and would always be willing to offer advice. I posted his obituary online, and within a day there were hundreds of people paying tribute.”