FAMILY, friends and colleagues have paid tribute to a popular former mayor of Bicester who died suddenly last week. Dr Ajit Bhart suffered a heart attack, just a day after celebrating his 70th birthday.

Dr Bhart, had been to visit Banbury police station and had returned to his car in Park Close when he had a heart attack.

He had been due to return to his wife and family in Caversfield, near Bicester, when he died on Wednesday afternoon.

A passer-by noticed that something was wrong but couldn't get in to the car as the doors had automatically locked. The good Samaritan smashed the rear passenger window, contacted the emergency services and tried to help. Despite all efforts, Dr Bhart died.

He leaves behind his wife, Surinder, daughters Satwant, Pinder, Jasbir, Gurbux or 'Bobby' as he liked to call her, son Jatinder, and grandchildren Baljinder, Parminder, Jessica, Emily and Natalie, and four sons-in-law and one daughter-in-law.

The family described Dr Bhart's death as a "huge loss". They said the popular Bicester figure, who was "widely known", would be "sadly missed by a lot of people".

Pinder said: "He was the head of the whole Bhart clan. He was well respected in both the UK and in India. He was a supportive father, ambitious and always encouraged us to get the best out of our education.

"We would like to thank the person who tried to save dad. We are very grateful."

In January, Dr and Mrs Bhart celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, having met in 1957 in The Punjab, India - where Dr Bhart was born.

He had said that his marriage to Surinder had been "great" and that it was "love at first sight for both of them".

On Tuesday, the day before he died, the family had a small party to mark his 70th birthday. His daughters, Pinder and Bobby, bought him a Winnie The Pooh sponge cake. His daughters said he was delighted.

Pinder said: "We had planned a big family party for him at the weekend and did not want to celebrate his actual birthday. So we bought him a cake. He was so proud and wanted to take a picture of it."

Bobby added: "The following morning Mum offered him a cup of tea and a piece of his birthday cake. But he said he would have it after he had been to visit the police station. Of course he never did get to taste it."

Dr Bhart was the mayor of Bicester from May 2006 until May 2007. He has also been both a town and district councillor. He worked for numerous organisations and spent much time promoting Anglo-Asian relations.

The funeral will be on Monday. The cortege will depart from his home in Caversfield at 11am, arriving at The Garth, in Launton Road, shortly before 11.15am. He will be driven around The Garth, through Market Square, Victoria Road, and back to The Garth, before making his way to Slough.

There, the funeral service starts at 1.30pm at Ramgarhia Sikh Gurdwara in Woodland Avenue.

The cremation will at Slough Crematorium on Stoke Road, at 3pm. A second service will take place at the Gurdwara, immediately after.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Royal Brompton Heart Hospital in Chelsea, through R J Tyrrell's Funeral Directors, Bicester.