THE town clerk of March today expressed his condolences following the death at the weekend of a former Mayor, Councillor Peter Skoulding. Clive Lemmon said: Having known Peter both personally and professionally for over 30 years, it was extremely upsetti

THE town clerk of March today expressed his condolences following the death at the weekend of a former Mayor, Councillor Peter Skoulding.

Clive Lemmon said: "Having known Peter both personally and professionally for over 30 years, it was extremely upsetting to hear of his death.

"He was a March man through and through who will be sadly missed.

"Peter was a generous man who financially supported many organisations, including March Civic Trust, and his work with March Town Council, Fenland District Council and March Urban District Council is well documented.

"He was, however, primarily a family man and my sympathy goes out to them."

Cllr Skoulding, 78, died on Friday evening at home, shortly after returning home from a family meal.

Council leaders had previously paid warm tributes to Cllr Skoulding, who received his MBE in 2007 from The Queen for services to local government.

Cllr Skoulding came into politics as a councillor with March Urban District Council at the age of 29 and, apart from one brief period when he took time out to recover from ill health, he has been a stalwart of local politics for two decades.

Cllr Skoulding is the last of the original Fenland councillors who were on the council at the time of the major national re-organisation of local government in 1974, more than 30 years ago.