A FORMER Burnley mayoress has died suddenly at her home in Spain.

Pat Chadwick, who served as a councillor between 1995 and 2002, suffered a suspected heart attack on Thursday.

The 63-year-old was Mayoress of Burnley for the Millennium celebrations in 2000, but emigrated to Spain with her husband Bob, who also served as a borough councillor, around eight years ago.

Yesterday, Mrs Chadwick’s friends and former colleagues paid tribute, describing her as a ‘kind and caring’ as well as someone who was ‘admired and respected by all who knew her.’ Burnley’s retiring Mayor Coun Tony Lambert said he and his wife Brenda had known the Chadwicks, who ran a sandwich shop in Burnley Wood, for more than 30 years.

The two couples both owned caravans at a site in Gisburn and became close friends after meeting there.

Coun Lambert said he and his wife had visited the Chadwicks several times at their home in Alhaurin el Grande, near Malaga.

He said: “She was quite a strong-willed lady but very kind and caring.

“Pat was a personal friend. We often went out for a meal when she lived in Harle Syke. We went to them for a meal or they came to us.

“She was a good cook and did a lot of cooking. I used to find out when she was baking and go up to sample whatever she made.

“She visited Burnley in March and stayed with relatives in the area and we saw her then.

“I’m sitting here now and I still can’t believe she’s gone really.”

Born and bred in Burnley, Mrs Chadwick was elected to serve on the council as a Labour representative in the Lanehead ward in May 1995.

In 1998, during her last year in office, she severed ties with the Labour Party over a housing row and crossed to the Independent benches along with Mr Chadwick.

Peter Pike, who was MP for Burnley at the time, added to the tributes.

He said: “I was sorry to see her and her husband leave the Labour Party. They did a lot of good work within the party and on the council “She was a powerful character, always an independent person with very strong views.”

Mrs Chadwick saw in the Millennium as Mayoress to fellow Labour turned Independent campaigner Eddie Fisk.

Then in May 2000 she was re-elected, this time to serve the Queensgate ward as an Independent councillor until she retired in 2002.

Shortly after stepping down, she and Mr Chadwick, retired from their sandwich shop in Parliament Street and moved to Southern Spain.

The couple, who did not have children, were married for more than 30 years and regularly returned to Burnley to see friends and family.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle, who served alongside Mrs Chadwick on the council, said: “She was an extremely good councillor and a very friendly lady.

“She was married to Bob and they were a thoroughly nice couple. It’s a terrible shock and I’m very sorry to hear she’s died.”

A Burnley Council spokesman said: "Although it has been a few years since Pat was a councillor, she will be sadly missed by all of those councillors and officers who knew and worked with her over the years. Pat was admired and respected by all who knew her.”

Mrs Chadwick’s funeral will take place in Alhaurin el Grande at midday on Tuesday, May 24.