A CIVIC procession and service was held in Bournemouth on Thursday to mark the passing of one of the town's most stalwart representatives.

Alderman Jacqueline ‘Jacky’ Harris MBE was a borough councillor for 20 years, served as mayor from 1988-89, and was a tireless campaigner for local tourism - founding the Bournemouth Illuminations Association.

She died on September 15, aged 82.

At 11.30am on Thursday a procession, lead by the mace bearer and the current mayor John Adams, accompanied by Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns, departed the Town Hall and made its way to St Peter's Church.

The service was conducted by the Reverend Dr Ian Terry, and included a reading by the mayor and tributes from close friends and family members.

The eulogy was delivered by Jacky's friend and former colleague cllr Bob Chapman, and a patriotic selection of hymns included Jerusalem and I vow to thee, my country.

After the blessing, the congregation of around 100 retired to the spiritual Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and a reception was held at the Hotel Miramar in Grove Road.

Council leader cllr John Beesley has paid tribute to Jacky as "a huge ambassador for Bournemouth" who "always put ward residents first" and whose work continued long after she was a councillor.

Her grandson James Blundell, who spoke at the service about what Jacky meant to her family, said: "It was a very moving tribute to my grandmother who was a servant of the town for a long time.

"It was a wonderful, very traditional, very British send off for Jacky."

Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Jacky worked as a civil service secretary, in retail and later the pub trade before moving to Bournemouth in 1982 to run the Alum Chine Gatehouse Holiday Flats.

The following year she was elected to Bournemouth council, representing Westbourne.

She became chairman of the council's tourism committee, chairman and later president of Age Concern Bournemouth and a governor at Summerbee School.

She opened the Littledown Centre and the St Paul’s Asda, and played a key role in the aftermath of the Clapham rail disaster, which claimed 22 people from Dorset and the New Forest, supporting the survivors.

A lifelong cricket fan, Jacky was awarded the MBE in 2002 for services to tourism and local government.