A WELL-KNOWN councillor who gave unstinting work for the community has lost his fight against cancer.

Derwentside District Council Labour member William Golightly who represented Consett South after previously representing Castleside for four years, died at Willow Burn Hospice, Lanchester on Thursday morning.

He was 72 and leaves a wife, Joan, and two grown-up children. He was well-known across Derwentside as a former rent collector and in his own area of Consett as an amateur bingo caller.

Leader of the council Alex Watson said: "Bill was a friend as well as a colleague. He was an excellent advocate for his community and carried out his work for that community unstintingly. He will be badly missed by all us at the council and, I'm sure, by his constituents. Our thoughts are with his family."

He served on the Castleside ward for four years, but lost his seat at the last election more than two years ago. He won his Consett South seat in March this year after former councillor Dot Atherton resigned for health reasons.