A FORMER borough mayoress, councillor and MP’s assistant has died.

The funeral of Denise Hancock, who was the ‘first lady’ of Rossendale in 2000/2001 and worked for Valley MP Janet Anderson for eight years, will take place tomorrow.

Mrs Hancock, who represented Longholme for Labour for a year in 2003, died aged 66 of kidney cancer at the home she shared with husband David in North Wales.

The couple met in the North Manchester moving to Rawtenstall in 1983.

Mr Hancock, 67, represented Cribden and Whitewell wards for 18 years, becoming leader of the Labour group on Rossendale Council in 2000 as he become mayor of the borough with his wife as his mayoress.

Mrs Hancock also spent eight years as Rossendale and Darwen MP Mrs Anderson’s office manager.

The couple also lived in Crawshawbooth and Waterfoot before moving back to Rawtenstall and had been married for 44 years.

Mr Hancock said: “I miss Denise terribly.

"She had been poorly for about four years.

“We were both Labour supporters and became active when we moved to Rossendale.

“She absolutely loved being mayoress and working for Janet, much preferring that to being a councillor.

“When I was mayor she liked getting to meet people and go to all the organisations that did things in the borough.

“She loved getting under the skin of the borough and finding out what was really going on.

“That is one of the reasons she loved working for Janet in her constituency office.

“She was a great support to me when I was the mayor and a councillor.”

Mrs Anderson, who will attend tomorrow’s funeral, said: “I shall miss her dreadfully. She was a great friend.

“For eight years she ran my office like clockwork and for the rest of my 18 years in Parliament was a stalwart of my constituency party.

“She was wonderful and helpful when dealing with enquiries from constituents and was my voice in Rossendale.

“Denise wasn’t just my friend but was a friend to everyone who came into contact with her and with my office.”

Mrs Hancock died on May 2 in the Glan Clwyd Hospital, Denbighshire.

He funeral will be at St John’s Church, Heaton Mersey, at noon followed by committal at the Southern Cemetery.

The family have asked for donations are asked for the Friends of Renal Care Glan Clwyd.