COUNCILLORS have paid tribute to one of their own following the death of Bob Stenhouse.

Mr Stenhouse served on West Dorset District Council for 16 years and on Cerne Abbas Parish Council for more than 50 years.

Chairman of West Dorset District Council, Cllr Gillian Summers, led tributes to Mr Stenhouse at a full council meeting at South Walks House in Dorchester. She said: “This is the first opportunity we have had to bring the news.”

Councillors were invited to stand and think of Mr Stenhouse at the opening of the meeting.

Cllr Summers said: “He was an independent councillor and served on 21 committees – eight of those being district council main committees, including environment, planning and development and licensing.

“He served on the parish council and was chairman for a time.”

She added: “His main interest was social housing and he was particularly proud of his work when he was on the planning committee.

“He moved to Cerne Abbas in 1952 and started a business bottling milk, which he continued to do for 32 years.

“He was always a part of the community and served as a special constable, a school governor and a church warden.”