Mayor leads tributes to 'iconic' St Pauls carnival founder

Carmen Beckford was a founding member of St Pauls Carnival; a giant mural of her is due to be painted of her on the route of the procession

The mayor of Bristol has led tributes to Carmen Beckford, the founder of St Pauls Carnival, who has died aged 87.

Miss Beckford, who came to the UK from Jamaica aged 17, was also a prominent race equality campaigner.

Marvin Rees said he was "very sad" to hear the news and hers was "a life very well lived".

The former midwife, who was the first black recipient of an MBE in the South West, died at a care home in Bristol earlier this week.

She helped set up the St Pauls Carnival in 1967, was appointed the first Race Relations Officer in Bristol and also worked alongside the bus boycott campaigner Paul Stephenson, to improve racial equality in the city.

Councillor Asher Craig announced Miss Beckford's death and told Bristol24/7: "She was a beautiful woman and had a heart of gold.

"She was extremely stylish and was an amazing networker who had all the skills and expertise of a socialite, which she capitalised on in her role as the entertainments officer on the board of St Paul's Carnival.

"The legacy of Carmen Beckford's contribution towards helping to create a more equal and integrated city must never be forgotten and I will ensure that it lives on."

Miss Beckford is one of "seven saints of St Pauls" who will be commemorated in giant murals, due to be painted by artist Michele Curtis this summer.

The portraits of prominent black Bristolians will be painted on houses or prominent buildings along the route of the St Pauls carnival procession.