BURY'S First Citizen has paid tribute to former mayor Bernard Forkin who died on Sunday at the age of 66.

Mayor of Bury Coun Roy Walker was glowing in praise of Mr Forkin who served the council for a quarter of a century.

Coun Walker represents Church Ward as did Mr Forkin. He said: "Bernard devoted many hours to work at the Town Hall, often out of the public eye.

"He did much on the council's planning and personnel committees and he was a popular man right across party political lines. He was noted for his strong sense of humour and was a real character."

Mr Forkin died peacefully in his sleep at Bury General Hospital.

A Bury Council stalwart, he represented the Conservative Party in Church Ward until the local elections of May 1994.

Mr Forkin served for several years as President of the Radcliffe Combined Adult Division of St John Ambulance.

Senior St John Ambulance officials are expected to attend the funeral on Wednesday and volunteers will form a guard of honour.

Labour's 1994 victory in Church Ward, a Conservative stronghold, was seen as historic and the party's biggest local coup of the elections. Originally elected to Bury Borough Council in 1968, Mr Forkin served continuously until the reorganisation of local government in 1974.

He was then elected to the new Bury Metropolitan Borough Council. In 1981-82 Mr Forkin was Mayor of Bury.

The veteran council member served as Tory group leader during his long and distinguished career which ended with his 1994 defeat.

Mr Forkin retired two years ago from Prestwich Hospital where he worked in the occupational therapy unit.

He leaves his wife Hilda, a daughter Catherine who is a teacher, son John who is a pharmacist, and three grandchildren.

Evening reception at St Marie's RC Church in Bury will be at 6.30pm on Tuesday July 15 with Requiem Mass at St Marie's at 12.15pm the following day. Burial will follow at 1.30pm at Bury Cemetery.

Following the burial friends and former colleagues are invited for refreshments at the Elizabethan Suite in Bury Town Hall.

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