Former Peterborough Mayor and long-serving councillor dies
Alan Dowson has died at the age of 87
Tributes are being paid to Alan Dowson, one of the Peterborough's longest-serving councillors, who's died at the age of 87.
He spent 55 years working for the community, served as Mayor in 2022, and was a veteran of the UK’s nuclear tests.
Councillor Shabina Qayyum, the leader of Peterborough City Council, said, “Alan was a friend to everyone. He was a true Socialist in every sense of the word and wanted to be remembered as such. He was so very loved in his ward by his residents.
"He fought big wars over however small a campaign in his ward and across the city, was a voice of the voiceless, stood on the picket lines alongside workers, adored his friends in the Palmerston Arms and was a Labour man through and through."
She added, “The Labour Group and I, alongside all other councillors across the political spectrum, will truly miss Alan. I'm comforted by the thought that he will now join his beloved wife Annie, as he missed her so very much.
"I would like Peterborough to join me in paying tribute to this giant of a man, Councillor Alan Dowson. The thanks and debt of gratitude I and many others owe to him for his monumental service to this city and its residents is simply not enough to put into words.
"He leaves an endowment of public service to this city that is unmatched.”