SOUTH Shore lost a community stalwart at the weekend when Conservative councillor John Woolley died at the age of 71.

The opposition leader and former Lancashire councillor had represented Waterloo ward on Blackpool Council for the past 11 years and served on Lancashire County Council from 1985 until Blackpool gained unitary status in April this year.

A former member of the Lancashire Police Authority, Coun Woolley served on a number of Blackpool Council committees including policy and tourism, as well as highways and education under the new unitary regime.

Blackpool Airport Ltd and the Combined Fire Authority counted among several outside bodies to which he was affiliated and he was a past President of Marton Rotary Club. His home, in St Luke's Road, was in the ward he represented along with Labour councillor Susan Rigby.

He worked as a sales manager for an international confectionery company and had been retired for some three years.

Fellow Conservative and former town and county councillor Derek Lockwood described Coun Woolley as an "adopted Sandgrown'un" who always had the best interests of the town at heart.

He said: "He wanted to do his best for the town in which he lived.

"The town has lost a well-respected and much cared for man who will be a great loss to the community which he served for so many years."

He leaves a widow, Margaret, two children and five grandchildren.

The funeral service will take place today (June 4) at Holy Trinity Church on Dean Street, Blackpool, followed by cremation at Lytham Park at 2pm.

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