A former WWII soldier and town council chairman has been remembered by colleagues.

A minutes silence was held at Loughton Town’s Council meeting on December 12 in memory of former chairman and Councillor Montague Juniper.

Known by friends as Monty and born in Loughton in 1921 in the now demolished Hatfield’s Cottages in Rectory Lane, he was mobilised in 1939, serving throughout the hostilities of WWII.

He was a full time trade union office for many years and worked as a justice of the peace for a quarter of a century.

Mr Juniper also served as the welfare secretary of the Loughton Branch of the British Legion, an advisor for the Citizens Advice Bureau and a member of the Labour Party for many years.

Current Loughton Town Mayor Stephen Murray said: "I got to know Monty best when we were first elected as Labour Councillors to the then newly set up Loughton Town Council in 1996.

"Monty served for eight years, was a great finance committee chairman for seven years and served as our third chairman between 1998/99.

"Members last night were keen to pay tribute to Monty’s significant contribution not only to our town but to the successful establishment of the town council from scratch."

Mr Juniper's contribution to Loughton life was recognised in 2016 when he was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

Cllr Murray added: "Very few individuals within Loughton can have had such a distinguished and sustained record of service to our town and our thoughts are with Monty’s wife Dorothy who he was married to for 76 years.”