Farewell to a 'wonderful man'

Friends and family will be joined by the veteran councillors former council colleagues at Whiston Parish Church to pay their final goodbyes to Cllr Clarke, who died aged 78 after a two-year battle with prostate cancer.

His widow, Sue, described him as “a wonderful man and lots of fun.”

Cllr Clarke represented Rotherham in the political arena for 37 years and was given the Freedom of the Borough last year.

The councillor, who represented the Sitwell ward, was given an ovation by a packed Council Chamber last year as he spoke of his battle against prostate cancer and joined fellow Tory Cllr John Turner in calling for blanket screening for the disease among men over 50.

Mrs Clarke asked for donations in lieu of flowers to be made to The Rotherham Hospice.