TRIBUTES have this week been paid to a former Okehampton mayor and hard working member of the community following his death.

Martin Jeffers Cunliffe, known as Jeffe, was mayor of the town in 1976, and played a prominent role in the community.

Okehampton town councillor and former mayor Christine Marsh said: 'Jeffe was an interesting character. All the time you knew that he always had the best interest of the town and its people at heart. He will be sorely missed.'

Born in Bootle, Mr Cunliffe was stationed at Okehampton in 1942 when he met an Okehampton girl, Peggy Orchard, whom he married in 1945.

Settling in Okehampton in 1947, he was depot manager for 12 years for a biscuit firm and also worked for West Devon District Council as a plant-operator at the Peacewater tip.

Elected to the town council in 1964, he was a dedicated advocate of road safety, helping to found the Four Counties Top Team Road Safety quiz, and being vice-chairman of the Okehampton road safety committee.

He became mayor of Okehampton in 1976, taking over from Margaret Nash.

He was also well known for his sporting interests, as chairman of the Okehampton and District Swimming Pool Association and vice-president of both the rugby and cricket clubs.

He also chaired the sports committee for the Okehampton festival of sport.

Mr Cunliffe was also on the executive committee of the Okehampton and District Agricultural Association — he was show president in 2002 — and part of the Okehampton Carnival committee. He also was a member of the Royal Devon Yeomanry's motorcycle team, which won every army award open to it.

During the war he served with the Royal Artillery in North Africa and took part in the final attack on Monte Casino in Italy.

Mr Cunliffe died on Saturday, May 25 after a long battle with ill health, aged 94.

He is survived by his wife Peggy and their two children, Sarah and Robert.