RADCLIFFE civic and sporting stalwart Ronald Morris was remembered with a minute's silence at last week's meeting of Bury Council.

Mr Morris, who died last month aged 96, was the town's mayor during 1971-72. He spent six decades encouraging local sport, founding Radcliffe Boys Club, reforming Radcliffe Athletic Club, and as chairman and life president of Radcliffe Sports Advisory Council.

He lived in Bury Road, Radcliffe, for a long time but in recent years had moved into Abbeyfield residential home in Radcliffe and, shortly before his death, to nearby Pendle nursing home.

A paper mill worker, he was employed at Baron and Bibby in Bury, and was one of the original "Desert Rats" during the Second World War.

He became a Conservative councillor for Radcliffe Hall ward in 1966, and served until the creation of the metropolitan borough in the early Seventies.

The Mayor of Bury, Councillor Jack Walton, told the council: "He was highly respected and served the people of Radcliffe for many years. He was also very active as a member of local sports advisory councils. Mr Morris was an extremely popular man and he will be sadly missed."

The council has formally conveyed its sympathies to Mr Morris's family.