DAVID Cameron led tributes today to veteran councillor Sir Barry Norton after he revealed he would step down due to health problems.

Sir Barry, who was Mr Cameron’s constituency election agent between 2000 and 2015, was praised by the Prime Minister and Witney MP as an "outstanding" leader of West Oxfordshire District Council who taught him "a huge amount".

The 70-year-old has led the council since 2001, also serving as a parish councillor for North Leigh since 1973 and as the village’s Conservative district councillor since 1983.

But in a letter to councillors and staff this afternoon, he confirmed that "with great sadness" he would not stand again in May’s council elections.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, he said: "I would have loved to carry on, but increasingly my health issues are making it impossible to do so. I am leaving with a very heavy heart."

Mr Cameron said Sir Barry would be "much missed", adding: "He has been an outstanding council leader, delivering excellent services and keeping council tax low.

"His dedication and love for West Oxfordshire and its people flows through everything he has done and we have worked closely since I was candidate in 2000.

"Sir Barry has taught me a huge amount and I have greatly valued his support and advice."

Sir Barry, a great-grandfather-of-two, has had Type One diabetes and heart issues for some time, but is now suffering from spinal problems and inflammation of arteries as well.

In his letter to colleagues he wrote: "Taken all together, these health issues have made life much more difficult in carrying out my duties and responsibilities as leader of our council to the extent that I am unable to commit to a further four years.

"I would like to thank all the elected members I have worked with for their contributions and support, our excellent officers and staff for their loyalty and unstinting service, whose work has helped our district to thrive and succeed through good and harder times."

Sir Barry – who was awarded a knighthood last year for political service – grew up in North Leigh and lives there with his wife Molly, with whom he has two children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He is a former pupil of Witney Grammar School, now Henry Box School, and first entered politics to help North Leigh Football Club get permanent grounds, becoming the parish council’s youngest member aged 27.

He said: "At the time we had to keep going cap in hand to farmers just to get a pitch, even though we had a long tradition of having a very good team."

He was elected to the district council a decade later after the death of Jack Swain, the local authority’s former chairman and his mentor.

Since taking the reins, he has steered the council through six years of funding cuts from central government, and overseen a merger of back-office services.

He said one of his proudest achievements was securing a long-awaited new village hall for North Leigh: "It is the hub of the village and must be one of the best in the whole county."