A FORMER Bournemouth mayor who served on the council over a period of more than three decades has died.

Honorary alderman Keith Rawlings was the town’s first citizen from 1998-99 and served as a borough councillor from 1970-74 and 1987-2002.

In recent years, he continued to feature regularly in the pages of the Daily Echo.

He last appeared in April this year, talking about his two decades of collecting badges and medals given out in the town over a period of more than 100 years.

He started the collection after discovering that no-one else was collecting or cataloguing such badges, which he displayed on 16 boards in his home.

At that time, he told the Echo: “I love everything about Bournemouth, having lived here since 1955.”

It showed that he had no intention of slowing down, even after a council career spanning 32 years.

In 2005 he wrote a book, Just Bournemouth, using his in-depth knowledge of the area to compile a fascinating history of the town and its inhabitants over the years.

He was also appointed chairman of the Bournemouth Bicentenary Committee, put in charge of planning events to mark the resort’s birthday in 2010.

Keith and his wife Eileen, at the end of their year as mayor and mayoress, also donated a sculpture symbolising the history of the town that stands outside the BIC.

Keith, a long-time Christian who later became a humanist, was a life member of the Bournemouth Civic Society and served as its president.

Council members have been invited to a celebration of Keith’s life at Moordown Community Centre later this month.

Tonight, current mayor Cllr Chris Rochester will pay tribute at the start of this month’s full council meeting.