Aged "89 and a bit", one of the longest serving councillors in Oxfordshire, Les Hitchcock is finally bowing out.

Les HitchcockHaving served as a parish, town, rural district and district councillor and a member of two county councils, Mr Hitchcock has resigned his Didcot seat on South Oxfordshire District Council.

He said his reasons for retiring were the changes in local government and e-mail. "I don't use a computer and I don't want to get used to the new cabinet-style in local government," he said.

He has been a district councillor for more than 20 years - after previously serving more than 20 years on the former Wallingford Rural Council before the local government reorganisation in 1974.

In total, Mr Hitchcock estimated he has been a Labour councillor for nearly 55 years. When he notched up 50 years, he was honoured by the town council as the first honorary Freeman of Didcot.

Jan Morgan, Liberal Democrat leader of the district council, said: "Les has been a father figure on the district council for as long as I can remember. When I first joined the council in 1987, I was amazed at the knowledge he had of local government and the changes he had experienced. His first and last love has always been Didcot and he has served the town well. I know he will be missed, but we wish him a happy retirement. I doubt if his length of service will ever be repeated."

Mr Hitchcock was first elected to the former Didcot parish council in 1947, winning on the toss of a coin.

Before the 1974 local government shake-up, he served on Berkshire County Council, subsequently transferring to the new Oxfordshire County Council on which he no longer serves.

He has held every office in the Wantage constituency Labour Party except treasurer, and is a former leader of the Labour group on South Oxfordshire District Council.

A retired railway guard, Mr Hitchcock was former branch chairman and divisional president of the National Union of Railwayman.

During a lifetime of public service, he has been actively involved in many organisations and community projects, including helping raise funds to build Didcot Hospital, setting up a voluntary town ambulance service and acting as a driver before county ambulance services were established, and serving as a volunteer fireman.

He now expects to have more time to spend with his family including his wife, Ruth, his son and daughter, Margaret Davies, who is a Didcot Town councillor, his grandchildren and great grandchildren.