Former Hythe town mayor, honorary freeman and long-standing councillor Chris Capon has died.

Mr Capon, 78, passed away at Saltwood care centre yesterday, Hythe town clerk Nick Hilditch confirmed this morning.

Mr Capon served as a Conservative Kent county councillor for Hythe for 46 years following his election in 1977 until his retirement at the last county council elections in 2013.

In a dramatic twist he backed Green Party candidate Martin Whybrow after the Tories refused to select him for the seat he had for more than four decades following a reported row with party chiefs over the selection process.

He was granted an MBE for his services to local government in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2012.

He first joined Hythe Town Council in 1967 and left the council 40 years later during which time he became the town's youngest mayor aged 34 in 1972.

Throughout his career he served as speaker of the Cinque Ports and was also granted the title of honorary freeman of Hythe for his service to the town in 2013.

He also was a Shepway district councillor from its formation in 1974 until 2002.

As well as his career in local politics Mr Capon was a governor at both St Augustine’s RC Primary School in Hythe and the Hythe Bay School.