THE last Mayor of Gillingham, George Smith, has died at the age of 71.

His wife, Diana, was at his bedside in the Medway Maritime Hospital when he died on Wednesday afternoon.

Cllr Smith was twice Mayor of Gillingham. When he held the position in 1984 he was the first Liberal for 64 years to be the mayor.

He was a fierce opponent of the amalgamation with Rochester's city council which led to the creation of Medway Council in 1998.

At the final meeting of Gillingham's councillors in 1998, he refused to close the meeting. Instead he adjourned it with the hope it would re-convene at some future date.

And on the last evening of the borough, he presented his badges of office to the Royal Engineers Museum so that they would remain in Gillingham.