Pauline Morrison said:
'I first met Les in 1985 and ran his election campaign to become Councillor for Blythe Hill Ward in 1986 and we became life long friends. Les was a very wise and dignified man and his public service was recognised by making him a Freeman of the Borough.
'He used to tell me of his early days in Britain when looking for somewhere to live and being confronted by signs saying "no Irish, no blacks, and no dogs". He came a long way from those days.'