FAMILY, friends and colleagues are mourning the death of West Sutton councillor, David Craig (79), the former Mayor of St Helens who died surrounded by his family in Whiston Hospital on Saturday. He had been there since Monday, December 13 after suffering a stroke and a heart attack.

Scottish-born David served in the RAF from leaving school and was posted to Germany for a number of years. He was then transferred to RAF Haydock where he ended his RAF career in 1969 and started work in the Flat Glass Accounting Division of Pilkington's. He later became their ASTMS union representative and was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1975 and a Merseyside County Councillor for Haydock in 1981 where he served as deputy chairman of the Highways and Tunnels and Road Safety Committees. First elected to St Helens Council in 1991, he served the Blackbrook ward before being re-elected for West Sutton in 1995 and in May 1998, was appointed Mayor, during which time he raised thousands of pounds towards his chosen charity - the St Helens Millennium Theatre for Youth.

Councillor Craig was also the deputy chairman of Richard Evans Primary School governors and a governor of Legh Vale C.P School. In addition, he was the council's representative on Merseytravel and was actively involved in both the St Helens Council for Voluntary Services and Haydock Old Folks Treat Committee.

Fellow West Sutton councillor, Tom Hargreaves, said: "He has been an exemplary councillor for West Sutton and will be sadly missed by everyone."

David Craig leaves a wife, Betty, two children and two grandchildren.

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