TRIBUTES have been paid to Alvechurch community stalwart Michael Scanlan, who died on Saturday.

Mr Scanlan died in hospital where he was taken after a fall.

He was born in Donegal in 1918 and moved to Redditch with his wife, Nancy, after the war.

He later served on Bromsgrove District Council and was chairman of Alvechurch Parish Council for many years.

He was also treasurer of Alvechurch Village Hall for a decade in the 1950s.

Alvechurch councillor Jean Luck said: "I will miss Michael dreadfully. He was one of a kind, a truly gallant gentleman.

"When he served on the parish council, nobody would be turned away if they had a problem.

"The Alvechurch community meant everything to him and he did everything he could to serve it. He was the embodiment of how a local councillor should be."

Mr Scanlan (pictured) was also a governor at several schools and a member and past chairman of the Worcestershire Branch of the Institute of Works Managers, former chairman of the Redditch and District Manufacturer's Association and founder member of the Industrial Mission.

He was a member of the Round Table and Alvechurch Village Society and had a great interest in amateur dramatics.

A metallurgist by trade, he served as a director at High Duty Alloys (HDA) in Redditch.

Mr Scanlan's funeral will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on Thursday, March 3, at 2pm.