VETERAN former Lancashire county councillor Ron Pickup has died aged 83.

The Labour politician, who represented both Clitheroe and Whitworth, will be laid to rest at a service this morning.

Honorary Lancashire county alderman Eileen Kershaw, 80, paid tribute to ‘a quiet but effective’ politician who helped her out of a crisis and later became her husband of more than18 years.

The funeral of the father-of-three and grandfather-of-nine will take place at St Anselm’s and St Mary’s RC Church in Whitworth.

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Mr Pickup, who passed away in hospital after a long illness, took up politics after retiring as Clitheroe borough treasurer.

He represented the town as a county councillor from 1989 until 1993, later serving for Whitworth from 2001 to 2005.

Mr Pickup also stood unsuccessfully as Labour’s General Election candidate for Ribble Valley in 1992.

Mrs Kershaw, East Lancashire’s longest serving politician and mother of former Radio One DJ’s Andy and Liz, told how they struck up a friendship that turned to romance at a time of political turmoil.

She told him how she faced a crisis as Whitworth Town Council chairwoman following the sudden departure of its clerk 20 years ago.

She said: “Ron just sorted it all out and worked for the town council for free for six months before we started paying him. That was just typical of him.

“His wife Audrey had died some years before and one Boxing Day I heard he was working late in the office. I went round and invited him to dinner and he started eating with me nearly every day.

“I said that as he was eating me out of house and home, he might as well marry me. He will be much missed by me, our families and Lancashire politics.”

The Chairman of Lancashire County Council, County Cllr Kevin Ellard, also paid this tribute to Mr Pickup at this month’s full council meeting.