TRIBUTES continue to pour in for community champion Chris Cooke with talks about a permanent tribute being created after he died following a flat fire.

Community groups, businesses and residents from across Brighton and Hove have been united in their grief at the sudden and shocking death of the well-loved 48-year-old.

Discussions have already begun about creating a permanent tribute to the popular character in the St James’s Street area he served for many years.

Mr Cooke was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital on Saturday after a fire in his partner’s flat in Essex Place, Montague Street, Brighton, and died in hospital on Monday.

A report has now been prepared for the coroner with a post-mortem anticipated to take place soon.

Brighton and Hove Labour councillors observed a minute's silence at their meeting on Monday night as a mark of respect for Mr Cooke, who stood as a council candidate in 2011.

Simon Burgess, former council leader and friend, said: “I think a tribute could range from something quite practical like a load of us going out and doing something he cared about, maybe a clean-up or doing up something that served people he worried about the most such as homeless people.

"More than anything Chris hated people getting a raw deal, it just affected him in the gut, a very strong feeling that made him think he must do something about it.

"He had real challenges in his own life and that made him very empathetic towards other people."

Councillor Adrian Morris said he and his ward colleagues Karen Barford and Daniel Chapman were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mr Cooke who they described as a "gentle man and a gentleman".

Cllr Morris added: "Two days before the tragic fire, Chris posted on Facebook encouraging people to join a new group called Kemptown in Bloom.

"His friends have suggested raising funds to sow seeds in his memory and I can't think of a better way to commemorate two of his loves in life of wild flowers and the community."

School friends of Mr Cooke have spoken of how his untimely death had robbed them of the chance to meet-up with him later this year in his home city of Coventry.

Mr Cooke was brought up and educated in the East Midlands before heading to the University of Liverpool to study maths, which led to finance jobs at PWC accountants and at Tate and Lyle.

Other tributes came from across the city.

A Sussex Beacon spokesman added: "Chris was both a former employee and long standing supporter of The Sussex Beacon.

"Chris was a warm and generous person who played a very active role in the Kemptown community, he will undoubtedly be missed by many."

A Trans Pride Brighton spokesman said: "Chris, you were a pillar of the LGBTQ community in Brighton and Hove, a great ally to Trans Pride Brighton and a true inspiration to us all. You shall be deeply missed."