Former colleagues remember Rotherham political giant Peter Thirlwall

Although he served on Rotherham Council for slightly less than a decade, his influence in the town stretched over a much broader period.

And in the 1990s, he made a bid to stand as an MP - which ultimately failed, but which would have allowed him to flex his political skills on the national stage.

Peter, aged 80, died last month and his passing has left former political colleagues reflecting on his contribution – both on a political and personal level.

He served as a parish councillor, school governor and in many other local capacities in a political career which sat alongside his work as an engineer.

That saw him elected to Rotherham Council in 2002, but in the previous decade he had made a bid for a seat in the House of Commons.

Cllr Michael Bennett-Sylvester said: “One of the great ‘what ifs’ in Rotherham politics is what would the history of Rotherham been like had Pete Thirlwall had the Labour NEC allowed him on the shortlist for the 1994 Rotherham by-election where he would almost certainly been selected by the Labour Party membership over Denis MacShane?

“I for one am convinced it would have been a lot better for the town.

“As both a Labour councillor, then an independent one and then as a member of the public Pete had a great skill of getting into the establishments ribs whether it was the Bramley one way system or the failure of councillors to keep up to date on their register of interests.

“He will be missed as somebody whose persistence in challenging what he saw as wrong made our town and its politicians better.”

Former council colleague Sue Ellis remember a tenacious campaigner who would fight for people’s rights, supporting the underdog against seemingly indomitable opponents.

“He was controversial and he liked that. He liked being a character, forthright and confrontational,” she said.

That meant he was a highly effective case worker, supporting those with a grievance on minor to highly serious issues.

“He was very confident, he always felt that you didn’t lose a war, you might lose a battle on the way, but you didn’t lose the war unless you gave up,” she said.

“He was very, very, tenacious and put an inordinate amount of time into doing things for other people, whether it was getting people a home, or it may be a parking ticket someone had been wrongly given.”

His “David and Goliath” moment was in dealing with large organisations, she said: “He was a real champion of the people.”

But Peter also had a fun-loving personality, known for closing public events by singing - he was a great fan of Elvis songs - and enjoyed performing magic tricks for children.

“He also enjoyed talking to people, on the doorstep,”she said.

He lived in Wickersley, but was fiercely proud of his working class roots, having been raised in Tinsley, she added.

His funeral takes place on Tuesday March 10, at Rotherham Crematorium, from 12.30pm.