A TOWN council has paid tribute to one of Tynedale's long-standing councillors.

Following the death of Margaret Forrest on August 22, Haltwhistle's Town Council chairman Alan Sharp has said the town has lost a 'great campaigner who wanted to help improve life for the residents of Haltwhistle'.

He said: "Margaret Forrest was first elected to Haltwhistle Town Council in 1999 and has served on the council for nearly 25 years.

"She has been a dedicated and committed town councillor and has taken a full part in all the business of the council over the years.  She was vice-chairman of the town council for many years in the early 2000s.

"She was a stalwart campaigner for the town and, this was her huge strength as she was determined to do her best for everyone.

"Margaret served on the swimming and leisure centre committee for many years and was very involved with the fund-raising committee and obtaining grants for the centre.

"She was very passionate about helping children develop their skills with swimming and other youth activities.

"Margaret was also very supportive of the Scouting Association, being secretary once she campaigned to get scouting going again in Haltwhistle. 

"Margaret was the town council’s policing representative for over 20 years and, she was also chairman of the Local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.  She, successfully, campaigned for many years to get more cameras on the main street. 

"Margaret kept in close contact with the local MPs over the years and was always getting in touch about policing and local issues.

"As soon as anyone reported an incident to Margaret, you could guarantee she would report it to the police straight away. She was disappointed when the local police station closed and, right up until she went into hospital, she was still dealing with all the queries on behalf of our residents.

"Margaret will be best remembered by many people for her tireless campaigning to get a bypass for Haltwhistle.

"She worked with a small team of people, Anne Burns and Pam Watson to do regular traffic checks on the number of vehicles going through the West End of Haltwhistle.  She worked with the police and other agencies. The campaign began about 20 years ago and on May 22 1997 Margaret and Anne Burns were invited to cut the ribbon to open the Bypass.

"This would not have happened but for the campaign they undertook.

"Once completed, Margaret decided she would like to become a town councillor to enable her to continue doing her best for Haltwhistle.

"The town has lost a great campaigner who wanted to help improve life for the residents of Haltwhistle."