LABOUR county councillor Gerry Thomsett has died at his home in Saxon Avenue, Minster, Sheppey, after a brave fight against cancer.

Cllr Thomsett, who was 80, had served as a Sheppey county councillor for more than 30 years.

He was the first Islander to be granted the honorary freedom of the borough.

Cllr Thomsett first become a local councillor in 1958 - the year he joined both the old Sheppey Rural District Council and Minster Parish Council.

He continued to serve as a councillor after Island councils merged as Queenborough-in-Sheppey Borough Council 10 years later.

Then he served two more terms after local government reorganisation in 1973-4 led to the emergence of what was to become Swale Borough Council.

He first served as a county councillor for the Sheppey rural division between 1973 and 1978 and then in 1979 took over the KCC's Sheerness seat which also covers Queenborough and Halfway. He had represented Sheerness ever since.

He had continued to attend KCC meetings until as recently as six weeks ago despite the ravages of his illness. He was particularly proud to have been vice-chairman of the KCC in 1995-96 and to have been involved in both the Channel Tunnel and Dartford Crossing projects.

He leaves a widow, Joyce, two sons and a daughter, four grandchildren and many other relatives, many of whom live on Sheppey.

The funeral will be held on Thursday, November 25, at Minster Abbey at 11am, followed by a family only committal at The Garden of England Crematorium at Bobbing.