Tributes to councillor who rode at Isle of Man TT

Bill Hawthorne served on Middlesbrough Council

Tributes have been paid to an "old school" councillor who has died following a short illness.

Bill Hawthorne's career took him from the thrills and spills of competitive biking to the highs and sometimes lows of the council chamber.

Prior to serving on Middlesbrough Council, he raced motorcycles - including in the Isle of Man TT races - and ran a steel fabrication business.

Fellow independent politicians said the "excellent councillor" would be sorely missed.

Bill Hawthorne and his mechanic Pat Lynch tuning up his BSA motorbike under the watchful gaze of a local donkey at the Isle of Man TT Races in June 1965.

Mr Hawthorne represented Middlesbrough's Ayresome ward between 2010 and 2015.

Brian Hubbard, also an independent councillor, said: "Bill was very much old school, in so much as he told it as it was.

“As a politician there wasn’t any ambiguity in his questioning or replies, and outside politics he was great company to be with and a friend to many."

Highlighting his late colleague's sense of humour, councillor Chris Hobson added that "nothing was too much trouble" when it came to Mr Hawthorne helping the residents he represented.