TRIBUTES have been paid following the death of a former leader of the Forest Council.

Labour councillor Anne Martin of Tidenham led the council in 2001.

The Forest Council had a minute’s silence in her memory at its meeting last Thursday (May 19).

Current Labour group leader Di Martin said: “I was saddened to hear of Anne’s death.

“When she was leader we had a very strong Labour authority.

“Many of us admired her leadership skills and the fact she was very much one who wanted to work with everyone to benefit the Forest of Dean.”

As well as being on the council at the time she was leader, Cllr David Wheeler was also a member of a choir of which she was accompanist.

He said: “Anne was an amazing leader of the council. She was friendly, tolerant, barely political but a strong leader although she did not tolerate fools easily as I found to my cost on a number of occasions.

“Anne was a graduate of the Royal College of music and had an extremely fine contralto voice and could play keyboards.

“It’s been a great pleasure to me for the last 10 years to sing in the choir for which she was the accompanist and her husband was leader.

“I’m devastated that she died so suddenly.

“All that can be said is that she died in France, drinking a glass of wine watching the racing.

“That would have been a good way for her to die because all those things were things she particularly liked.”

Her funeral took place yesterday (Thursday).