Villagers have paid heartfelt tributes to their neighbour and friend Paul O'Grady who "always had time for everyone".

The comedian and presenter, who lived in Aldington near Ashford, passed away "unexpectedly but peacefully" yesterday evening at the age of 67.

Paul spent more than 26 years living in Kent and was a well-known face in the village he became a huge part of.

He attended summer fetes, supported Aldington Primary School and last year was a judge at the local dog show held on the village green in Roman Road.

Residents speaking to KentOnline today have shared their fond memories of their interactions with Paul over the years.

One neighbour told how he was "always joking" - and once raced her up a hill on his bike, calling her a "slow coach" while she was in her mobility scooter.

Paul was a regular visitor to the village's post office and nearby farm shop, always stopping for a chat with staff and customers.

Saxon Shore ward Cllr Linda Harman (Ashford Independent) says the news of his death has really shaken up the community.

"We woke up this morning to the extremely sad and shocking news of losing Paul," she said.

"Paul has been a staunch member and supporter of this village, most recently judging our dog show last summer.

"He always gave up his time and sometimes his money very freely to support this village.

"He is, as everyone has described, a fabulous, kind, normal person who never stood on a celebrity status.

"We loved having him here and we are going to miss him a lot."

Neighbour Francoise Montford said Paul has been "a great asset to this village" and she will miss his sense of humour.

"Paul has been a very kind person and we're all going to miss him," the 78-year-old added.

"He did a lot for the primary school. He used to always come along to the summer fetes with his dogs and never asked for any money.

"He had a kind heart, he never praised himself like other actors do and he cared very deeply for animals.

"He was always joking, I once went up the hill on my mobility scooter and he was following on his bike.

"He called me a slow coach and offered to push me."

Resident Daphne Wanstall, 73, whose husband used to work for Paul, says his passing has made her very emotional.

"My husband worked for him and [so did] my son," she said.

"He was so local that if you met him anywhere, he would talk to you.

"He came to my husband's funeral and he was always so friendly and so nice.

"My sister used to love the radio show he did. When he was taken off she said she won't listen to it any more.

"I was going to tell him she loved him but I never got round to it."

Paul, who was married to ballet dancer Andre Portasio, was firmly settled in the area, where in 2021, he won planning permission to build a new guest house in his grounds.

He also planned to improve his blue-painted home by converting the loft into a sixth bedroom and adding an entrance lobby to “create a sense of arrival” at the house.

Paul was also a "friendly face" at Aldington Post Office and Stores where shop owner Muttukumarasamy Skandakumar says he used to pick up his favourite Cornish pasties.

Mr Skandakumar added: "He was a very friendly, nice chap and it's so sad to see him gone.

"He would always have a casual chat.

"My wife once had a fall on the stairs and broke her wrist.

"When he came in he would ask how her arm was because that's the sort of person he was."

The renowned animal-lover kept a huge variety of animals, including dogs, cats, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, ferrets, New Zealand pigs and alpacas at his farm.

He used to visit Arriba Pets nearby in Sellindge to buy the animal's food and popped into neighbouring Potten Farm Shop and Harringe Plants.

Staff at the pet food store say they have countless fond memories of Paul's visits and even laughed about the time they had to help him after he got a flat tyre in the car park.

Owner of the farm shop Kevin Dryland said there was once a time when Paul "would visit once a week".

Mr Dryland added: "He did a lot of good work. I was devastated when I heard the news.

"He was so cheerful, he will be sadly missed.

"Customers used to talk to him and he'd talk to them back even if he didn't know them."

Paul was also regularly spotted at Harringe Plants next door with his arms bursting with items to decorate his garden.

Manager Dan Cornish said: "He would never get a trolley or a basket, he would carry stuff in his arms.

"When my mum worked here he used to stand chatting to her about dogs for 20 minutes, he always had time for people."

Mr Cornish added: "I woke up to multiple messages because a lot of people knew he came in here.

"He was only in here last week so when I heard the news I was shocked.

"He was so regular he knew my name, he'd ask how I was and it's nice that he was like that.

"He will be sorely missed."

Fellow northerners Jean and David Westby recalled the time they first moved to Aldington and were made to feel welcome by Paul after bumping into him on a walk.

Mrs Westby said: "We had only lived in the village a few weeks and we were having a walk to explore.

"We were down near the church and Paul came into the churchyard and we were chatting to him and he had little Olga with him, who used to go on TV with.

"He chatted with us for about 20 minutes, and he made us feel really welcome.

"He fitted in with everybody, and he was treated like one of the villagers.

"We didn't see a lot of him, but we were always conscious we were part of the village."

Villager Tina Metcalfe recalled the time Paul was kind to her three-year-old granddaughter.

She said: "I remember Julian Clary had a party for his birthday and he asked us along and I took my three-year-old granddaughter who is Dutch.

"At that stage she didn't speak English and she marched up to Paul O'Grady and talked her best Dutch.

"He talked his best back and then he said, 'I didn't understand a word she said, but what a lovely little girl she is'."

Mr Clary, a former Aldington resident, also paid tribute on Twitter.

"Farewell to my fierce and funny friend. I'm going to miss you," he wrote.

Paul rose to fame with his drag queen persona Lily Savage in the 1980s and 1990s before going on to host a string of television programmes.

His cause of death is not yet known but he had previously survived three heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014 and suffered kidney failure. He talked very openly about his battle with Covid in April 2020.

The beloved star's most notable appearance came on his daytime chat show The Paul O’Grady Show which began airing in 2004, followed by the New Paul O’Grady Show.