Cross-party tributes have been paid to Les Hitchcock, one of the longest-serving councillors in Oxfordshire, who has died at the age of 90.

He served on local councils for 54 years.

Mr Hitchcock was a member of the now defunct Didcot Parish Council and Wallingford Rural Council, and former member and leader of South Oxfordshire District Council. He also sat on Berkshire and later Oxfordshire county councils.

There were periods when he was serving on all three tiers of local government at the same time.

Last night, Didcot town councillors held a minute's silence in tribute.

Labour colleague Mike McNulty described Mr Hitchcock's services as "unequalled in the local community".

The sentiments were echoed by Conservative John Flood, who referred to Mr Hitchcock's "unrivalled and extensive knowledge of Didcot which enabled him to make an invaluable contribution on planning issues".

Mr Hitchcock was the only individual to be granted the Freedom of Didcot. He was also an honorary alderman of South Oxfordshire District Council.

Earlier this year, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott stopped on his way to Oxford to pay tribute to Mr Hitchcock during a surprise party at Didcot Labour Club.

He was given a Labour Party Certificate of Merit for his life-long service to the party, with a personal letter of thanks from Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Mr Hitchcock held every office except treasurer in the Wantage constituency Labour Party. He was a founder member of Didcot Labour Club in 1948 and was at various times president, chairman and secretary.

He worked as a railway guard, and was a former branch chairman and divisional president of the National Union of Railway- men.

He was involved in many voluntary organisations in the area, helped raise money to build Didcot Hospital, and helped set up a voluntary ambulance service in the town. He was a volunteer fireman, and for nearly 30 years was chairman of the governors of Manor Primary School.

Among the mourners at a private family funeral on October 15 were his widow Ruth, his son Jim and his daughter Margaret Davies, who is following her father as a town and district councillor.

The new access road to the proposed Orchard Centre redevelopment in Didcot is to be named Hitchcock Way in his honour.