TRIBUTES have been paid to “true gentleman” Sir John Ward, the former MP for Poole and confidant of John Major during his time as Prime Minister.

Sir John, who served as constituency MP from 1979 to 1997, died suddenly at his London home on Saturday, aged 85.

He has been remembered as a “tireless worker for the people of Poole” and “an important parliamentarian”.

Appointed parliamentary private secretary to the Prime Minister in 1994, he was a trusted aide, and was later knighted in John Major’s resignation honours.

The chartered civil engineer and managing director won his seat with a landslide majority of 23,500. Throughout his time in office he had close links with town businesses.

He campaigned against port privatisation in the early 1990s and lobbied to protect the local fishing industry.

In 1986 he was among the first – but not the last – to call for a replacement for Hamworthy Bridge and would continue to do so throughout the rest of his time in office.

He was a wartime RAF navigator and the armed forces were also close to his heart. His visits included joining the Royal Marines on Arctic combat training in the mountains of Norway, and a trip to the Falklands in 1989.

In the early 1990s he campaigned to save the Royal Marines base in Hamworthy.

He was appointed by Margaret Thatcher to serve as a delegate on the Assemblies of the Council of Europe and the Western European Union.

And he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary to the Treasury from 1984 to 1986, and to Social Services Secretary John Moore from 1987 to 1989 Cllr Brian Leverett, leader of the council, Borough of Poole, said: “John was held in the highest possible regard and respect by all who knew him.” He paid tribute to a “true gentleman who was always courteous, hard-working and nothing was too much trouble for him”; a “tireless worker for the people of Poole” and “an important parliamentarian nationally” who would be “very sadly missed”.

Former town clerk Ian Andrews remembered Sir John as “an excellent constituency MP” who “really had Poole at heart, even after his retirement”.

In 1998, Sir John became patron of Age Concern Poole – one of his many ongoing links with the town, including his home at Evening Hill, which he maintained for many years.

He is survived by his wife Lady Jean, son John and daughter Susan.

His funeral will be held at the West Norwood Crematorium, in London, on July 9.

Instead of flowers, donations are invited for the RNLI, via funeral directors W Sherry and Son of Acton Green.