A dedicated volunteer honoured by the Queen for his contribution to his adopted home town has died after a period of illness with Parkinson's.

Paul Emden was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community in Folkestone after he played a leading role in the Step Short campaign for a memorial arch on The Leas to mark the centenary of the First World War.

A former market trader who was born in Lambeth and spent his working life in London, Mr Emden threw himself into community activities when he retired to the Kent coast with wife Barbara more than 20 years ago.

As well as helping raise significant amounts of money for local good causes, he was a founder member of Harbour Ward Residents Association and finance director of the Step Short charity.

The 75-year-old grandfather, who lived at St Andrews in The Durlocks, died on January 8 at the Pilgrims Hospice in Ashford.

His daughter, Nikki Emden, expressed her pride at all her father had helped to achieve during his time in Folkestone.

"My dad's not a person that could ever sit down for five minutes," she said. "He was up all the time, he was a doer.

"I think he just really wanted to get involved in the community, and you know he did love Folkestone and saw a lot of potential in it, I think that was really when he thought 'I'm going to get involved'.

"He could have retired and done whatever he wanted but he just wasn't that kind of a man. He never sat down. Never.

"He was constantly out, constantly speaking to people, constantly trying to raise money."

Speaking in 2016 when he was recognised in the Queen's birthday honours list, he said: "The honour I have been awarded would not have happened without the assistance of all my colleagues, residents of Folkestone many of who have become personal friends and above all my own family Barbara, Nikki and Oscar who have supported me during the many thousands of hours that I have put in."

Mr Emden's funeral will take place at Hawkinge Crematorium at 12.30pm on February 18, following a procession through Folkestone which will pass the memorial arch.

A wake will be held at the Mayfly pub in Hawkinge following the funeral, and the family ask that donations are made to the Pilgrims Hospices.