Community campaigner and prolific Oxford Mail letter writer Vim Rodrigo has died.

The Oxford pensioner, who was in his 80s, lived in Rivermead Road, Rose Hill. 

Former city councillor Ruth Wilkinson, who also lives in Rose Hill, shared the news on social media last night.

Posting on twitter she wrote: "Saddened to hear the news of the death of Vim Rodrigo, who campaigned for many years to defend the rights of Rose Hill residents in planning applications & changes to rights of way. 

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"Hailing from Sri Lanka originally, he was a voluminous letter writer to planners & @TheOxfordMail."

Mr Rodrigo appeared many times in the Oxford Mail sharing opinions on everything from Brexit to local footpaths. 

Ms Wilkinson's husband Peter said he had known Mr Rodrigo, who had a background in architecture, for many years.

He said: "Rose Hill was a forgotten estate by many and it was largely down to him and couple of others that it got improvements.

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"Over the years he really has done so much for this estate." 

Mr Wilkinson said the man, who was one of the first chairmen of Rose Hill Residents’ Association could be 'very outspoken' but always had the Rose Hill community at heart.

Former Oxford Mail reporter Thom Airs, in response to the Ms Wilkinson's tweet, remembered him as a 'community man through and through'. 

He wrote: "That is sad news. I can recall many long chats with him over the phone and writing many pages of notes as he spoke at local meetings."

Mr Rodrigo, who had long-running health problems, died on Wednesday evening in hospital.