TRIBUTES have been paid to a Bromsgrove District Councillor who has died at the age of 90.

Councillor John Tidmarsh, who has represented Stoke Prior on the authority for decades, passed away on Friday, (March 27).

John Tidmarsh was born in the Vale of Evesham in 1925.

One of seven children, his father was a successful market gardener.

While his brothers and sisters followed their father into the family business on leaving school John became a policeman.

During the war, John was a navigator in a Lancaster bomber. After VE day, he moved to transport command but he didn't enjoy it and left to go back to the family business.

For a short while John pursued dreams of becoming a solicitor but joined Avery Scales as a salesman.

After leaving Avery's he joined Herbert's, another British scales company. He travelled all over the country but the travelling was too much and he decided to take early retirement.

John's life as a civic leader began when Mike Woolley left his position as district councillor for Stoke Prior.

John decided to run in his place and was elected in 1995 for the Conservatives and served as council chairman in 2003.

John became chairman of the Neighbourhood Watch division, having been associated with the scheme for decades.

John was also president of the Worcestershire branch of the aircrew association, president of the Hanbury and Stoke Works branch of the Royal British Legion and president of Bromsgrove and Redditch RAF Association.

John married his wife Joan at St John's Parish Church in Bromsgrove in 1947.

The pair celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary three years ago.

In the mid-1960s Joan became very ill and was told she had just 18 months to live. But she made a miraculous recovery and John went to see Joan everyday at a Bromsgrove care home.

After being elected to serve as council chairman, John told the Advertiser: "Bromsgrove is a wonderful town, sometimes we don't value it as much as we ought to.

"There's low crime, it is easily accessible and there is a good mix of urban and rural landscapes."

Margaret Sherrey, leader of the Conservative group, said: "John had an outstanding career in the Royal Air Force.

"He also worked very hard in his community as both a district and parish councillor.

"He had a gentle, gravitas to any issue he was involved with and will be greatly missed by all who knew him."