A veteran councillor who gave more than four decades of service to Deal has been remembered with a bench.

The special seating for Cllr Wayne Elliott was unveiled by Sandown Castle Garden on Sunday.

It comes two years after the former mayor's death in 2018 and represents his commitment to helping people and groups in the town.

Friend Chrissi Dunn, who was among those at the unveiling, said: "Wayne dedicated so much of his life to the community and helping others that when he passed, we wanted to raise enough money to enable us to purchase a bench in his memory."

Kerry Banks BEM said: "Unfortunately we didn’t have enough, however Heather Morgan very kindly made it possible with her donation.

"Wayne’s bench is now proudly positioned at the top of Sandown Castle Gardens - a stone's throw from where he grew up and in the ward where he lived.

"His two friends George Poole and Bob Smith who both sadly passed away are also remembered on his bench."

Cllr Elliott joined the local government scene in 1979, and was also a member of Dover District Council.

He was the town council's North Deal ward member and a former Deal mayor, serving in 1982-83, and deputy mayor in 2015-16.

He was presented with a Locality public sector hero award at the House of Lords in 2015.

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