Gordon Birtwistle & Burnley Liberal Democrats

Bill Bennett

County Councillor Bill Bennett, much loved for his dedication to communities in Burnley, died in hospital on Saturday morning, following a brief battle with cancer.

After a career that included army Signals, Lucas and more than twenty five years service with the Royal Mail, Coun Bennett had dedicated his life to supporting many groups across Burnley. He represented Burnley residents on two local authority councils and supported Burnley Civic Society, Burnley Boys Club, Barden Lane Nursery and the Royal British Legion.

Coun Bennett’s family have expressed their sincere thanks to people from Burnley and across the county for the kindness and support that they showed to Bill during his stay in hospital.

Coun Bennett’s wife, Cathy, said, “Bill loved being a councillor. He loved helping people. He was always in the front, getting involved in everything. He was determined when he joined the County Council to make the two local councils work together and I hope that work will be carried on.”

Burnley Council colleague Darren Reynolds said, “The family have asked me to say that they were amazed by the overwhelming numbers of people who had been in touch.

“The family are very much in everyone’s thoughts. Cathy welcomes the kind offers of support people are making and is happy for anyone to get in touch at normal times of the day.

“Cathy showed me the massive stack of cards and letters that Bill had been sent whilst in hospital. Messages came from as far afield as an expatriate in Germany, but the most touching messages were those from local well-wishers. It really came home to me just how widely he was appreciated when I was working outdoors in our Queensgate ward. So many people kept asking me how he was doing that I could barely remember them all when passing their wishes on.

“Bill was an amazing man. He stayed positive right through to the end. He still had his mobile telephone switched on in his hospital bed, taking calls from people in need of help. It is so sad, and so unfair that we have lost him.”

Councillor Bennett was aged 61. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

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