Joe Blewitt, a former Lord Mayor of Oxford and a councillor for 32 years has died, aged 89.

Mr Blewitt, of Minchery Road, Littlemore, Oxford, was a Labour councillor representing the Littlemore ward, and was first elected to the city council in May 1991.

Previously he served on Bullingdon District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council.

He was Lord Mayor in 1995/96 and retired from the city council in May 1998 He leaves a wife, Beryl.

Current Lord Mayor Susanna Pressel said: “I feel privileged to have known Joe, though we only overlapped as councillors for two years.

“I remember him with great affection as a warm and distinguished Lord Mayor from the time when I first started going to council meetings.

"It’s amazing to realise that Joe was a councillor for 32 years — this was a magnificent record of public service.

“Oxford is extremely lucky to have had someone of his calibre, prepared to devote his life to the service of his community.”