FORMER mayor of Bicester James Ball died on Friday, September 27 after an illness. He was 75.

Mr Ball was a Conservative East ward town councillor and was town mayor in 1999/2000.

His death is expected to cause a by-election.

Town council leader, Norman Bolster, said: "He will be missed as a wise councillor against some more exuberant members."

Mr Ball, of Backway Farm, Victoria Road, Bicester, had been a town councillor for several years, apart from a period when Labour gained a majority on the council.

A retired businessman, Mr Ball lived at Lytham St Annes for the first 18 years of his life until his family moved to Gastang, near Preston, Lancashire.

At Gastang he met his future wife, Evelyn.

Mr Ball served in the Loyal Regiment, becoming their youngest ever sergeant. He served overseas, including in Kenya and Palestine.

He later became a salesman and later sales director for Euro Time, a company that imported clocks and watches. Mr Ball, his wife and daughter Rosemary at first lived in Somerville Drive, Bicester, and about 11 years ago moved to Victoria Road. Their daughter now lives in France.

The funeral was held at St Edburg's parish church, Church Street, Bicester, yesterday morning, October 7, followed by burial at Bicester cemetery.