A LONG-SERVING councillor, Clarence Brown, has died after a short illness.

A service took place at St Michael's Church, Todmorden, where he was a stalwart and his wife Sheila was church warden.

A former mayor of Todmorden, Coun Brown had served on the town council for 26 years, representing Cornholme Ward, being first elected as a Liberal and later a Liberal Democrat.

Coun Brown was chairman of Todmorden Accident Prevention Council, an active member of Todmorden Town Twinning Assoc-iation, and was a member of the Upper Valley Transport Action Group.

He also served as a member of Todmorden Citizens' Advice Bureau, Todmorden War Memor-ial Trustees and the needy, sick committee.

Coun Michael Taylor, leader of Calderdale Council's Liberal Democrats, said: "For all the 30 years I knew him, Clarence served the public in one guise or another.

"I asked him to stand for the new Todmorden Town Council, and he was elected at the first attempt.

"He was my deputy mayor, and with his wife, Sheila, was a distinguished mayor in his turn."