IT was very sad to learn of the death of Gordon Evans.

Gordon was a true friend and a true Leyther. He was also an excellent police officer who desperately cared for his community.

He was an ex-professional rugby league player and his son Stuart followed in his footsteps. Gordon tried to pass on his love of Rugby League by being a coach at Leigh Rangers, for which our club is truly grateful.

Gordon always exhibited the highest standards and had integrity to burn.

He retired as a Detective Chief Inspector after 30 years of exemplary service. His family are to be much admired and Marlene and her children have always been contributors to our community. We really feel for them.

What a lot of people will not know is that Gordon had an innate ability to see investigations through even when the outcome looked hopeless.

He put a lot of baddies away because he cared about his town and its people. His investigatory standards are without compare - he was a much better policeman than I was and unlike me, he never sought the limelight.

When he retired he continued to use his expertise with our company and then with solicitors dedicated to community improvement.

Gordon was solid and dependable. He was a Freemason because he could do things for his community out of the public eye.

Gordon will be sorely missed - the likes of Derek Cocker, Trevor Gardner, Cliff Littler and I and hundreds of ex-cops who knew and more importantly respected Gordon will be evident at his funeral.

Sometimes people pass on and their contributions are not recognised - I hope these few words recognise Gordon's achievements in life. Whilst being sad, we should at the same time, celebrate a local unsung hero who was an example of the benefit of being straight in life and caring for his local community.

Trevor Barton