FOLLOWING the death on September 5 of Councillor Fred Parrott, I am writing this letter as a tribute to his life and work, 100% dedicated to local government over a period of 50 years.

Also to invite readers to send me a donation for a fund to provide some lasting memorial to Fred*. Then when donations have been received I will arrange a meeting of subscribers to decide what form the recognition should take.

Fred, to quote the words of the late Councillor David Bruce, "was steeped in local government". This remark was made after Fred questioned in a Council meeting the whereabouts of a large number of spades, shovels, buckets, pickaxes, wheelbarrows etc which had disappeared without trace. He gave exact numbers of each item, thus displaying the attention to detail that he always did.

No one else has been Mayor of Stratford, Chairman of Stratford District Council and Warwickshire County Council plus many years of active service as a magistrate. And his total service on the three Councils was 75 years.

JOHN WINTERBURN, Chairman, Stratford District Council, Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford.

* Cheques should be made payable to Stratford-on-Avon District Councils and sent to me at Elizabeth House.