FORMER leader of Dorset County Council, Reverend Colin Hodge, of Wareham has died at the age of 76.

Born in Wareham 1939, he went to school in Wareham and Swanage before leaving education to become an apprentice radio and television engineer in the town.

After meeting his wife, Sue, they ran Wareham Bookshop together for many years and Mr Hodge went on to serve the area as a councillor and also as priest, after being ordained in 1984. The couple also had two children, Nick and Catherine, and later welcomed six grandchildren, Matthew, Emily, Henry, Eddie, Alex and William.

In 1967, as a Conservative councillor, he was elected as Mayor of Wareham, making him the youngest mayor in the country aged 28.

He served on Dorset County Council for 27 years from 1970 to 1997 with only a brief gap of two years and became leader of the county council from 1987 to 1993.

During his time in office, he was particularly concerned with education, and in October 1992 made an “unprecedented” public call to MPs for more funding to be provided to schools.

As priest he worked in the Parish of Wareham from 1984 to 1987, St Peter's Poole from 1987 to 1989 and then as incumbent of Lilliput between 1989 and 2000.

Following his retirement as a councillor, he continued as a priest and was known in Wareham and further afield as somebody to turn to in times of crisis or bereavement.

He also officiated at the funeral of ex-Bournemouth Echo editor Neal Butterworth, who died in 2013.

Mr Hodge was involved in an accident on January 19 and died just a few days later in hospital on Sunday, January 24.

A service of thanksgiving takes place today at 2pm at the Lady St Mary Church in Wareham with donations going to the Lady St Mary Church Organ Appeal and Poole Hospital Critical Care Unit.