Long-serving Worthing magistrate and borough councillor David Marchant died yesterday.

Coun Marchant, of Cranworth Road, Worthing, who represented Goring Ward, suffered a stroke on Saturday and died in Worthing Hospital.

Fellow Tory councillor George Stephens said today: "David was such a wonderful, larger-than-life man who will be very sadly missed.

"He was a major contributor to the Conservative group. It is an absolute tragedy.

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and found him a very effective person. We are all really quite shocked and devastated and our thoughts go out to his loved ones."