A FORMER chairman of Inkberrow and Cookhill Parish Council has died at the age of 85 following a short illness.

George Smith, who was also a Studley parish councillor in his late 20s, worked for years as a trade unionist in Redditch, as part of his role as works convenor at the High Duty Alloys works, and subsequently became chairman of Redditch Trades Council in the 1970s.

Later he became publican of the Needlemakers Arms in Studley for more than a decade, and acted as chairman of the Stratford Licensed Victullars Association.

Based in Studley for much of his early life, he moved to Cookhill in the 1960s and at various times he was chairman of Inkberrow and Cookhill Parish Council before the council split in two. He was also chairman of the British Legion and standard bearer for a number of years, carrying the standard at the Festival of Remembrance in the 1970s, and he was chairman of the school governors at Cookhill Primary School, and secretary of the village hall committee for almost 20 years.

Mr Smith is survived by his wife Pauline, his son Mark, his daughter Jayne and four grandchildren.