A REDDITCH councillor died at the weekend after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Labour councillor Robin King, who represented the Church Hill ward, passed away during the early hours of Saturday morning at the Primrose Hospice. He had been suffering from blood cancer and had previously received treatment for a brain tumour.

Mr King was married to Wanda, who is a councillor for Greenlands, for 32 years, and they had two children, Lisa and Stephen. He lived in Redditch for 27 years.

He was first elected to Redditch Council in 2007, and was re-elected for a four year term again last year and worked at Pilkington until his deteriorating health forced him to take early retirement.

Councillor Bill Hartnett, leader of Redditch’s Labour group, said: “He was passionate about the town and passionate about people. He always wanted to do the right thing, even though sometimes he would say things before he had thought about them.

“He was really a half glass full kind of man, and he stayed positive up until the very end. He will be missed tremendously.”

Mr King had launched a national campaign, supporting the NHS against current reforms, and was very proud to have attended a national demonstration in London against the proposed reforms.

In an interview with the Advertiser last February, he backed a campaign to get a radiotherapy unit for Worcestershire built at Redditch’s Alex Hospital, having experienced first-hand the misery people experienced travelling hundreds of miles for treatment. He spent months being driven by his wife to receive treatment for his brain tumour at a centre in Coventry.

As news of his death reached people, his Facebook site received numerous tributes from people.

Tracey Wheeler wrote: “So incredibly sad to hear of Robin’s passing. He was an inspiration to us all.”

Clair MCintyre added: “Robin, a very special person who touched more lives than he will ever know. We are all better people for his energy.”

And many of the messages were from people saying they would “carry on the fight in his name”, particularly in his campaigning work to safeguard the NHS.

On his facebook site, Mr King had written this of himself: “I say what I think and do not sometimes think about what I say.

“I love politics and and the arguments that come with the love affair. I am never happier than when I feel I am getting right up a Tories nose or knocking a Lib Dem off their fence.

“I will however put people before personal prejudices and will support a joint approach to benefit society.

“Though many feel I am flippant, I am probably really very deep and serious about my beliefs and the people I believe in.”