RESIDENTS and councillors paid tribute at a packed area forum on Wednesday night to its chairman Peter Birch, who died this week.

Councillor Birch, aged 53, a popular local politician and ex-mayor who chaired the Burnden, Daubhill and Deane area forum, was fighting to improve the lives of others right up until his tragic death.

More than 70 residents who are forced to live with drugs and prostitution packed into the Chadwick Campus of Bolton Institute on Wednesday night to plead with area workers and police to rid The Haulgh of kerb crawlers, prostitutes and drug dealers.

And just hours before he died on Monday night, Cllr Birch had made an emotional appeal to Bolton police chief Supt Don Brown to find ways to improve the confidence of these residents.

Speaking at the Public Voice on Policing meeting, staged at Bolton Institute's teaching centre, on Rydley Street, Cllr Birch said: "The residents need to have a lot of confidence in the police.

"I am getting the clear message from this meeting that the community has lost confidence in the police. There is a complete lack of confidence in what you do at this very moment."

He was given assurances that work was being done, but had planned to discuss the issues again at Wednesday's area forum, a talk shop for local issues.

A minute's silence was followed by tributes from colleagues about the 21 years Burnden Councillor who had spent years campaigning to raise awareness of diabetes, himself a long-term sufferer.

Councillor Dennis Barlow took the forum chair in his place. He said: "Peter worked hard for the residents in a very cheerful way, his good humour and enthusiasm will be missed by all."

Fellow Burnden Councillor Prentice Howarth said Mr Birch was working until the end.

"Most people know Peter, I have known him since he was 14. We all had our ups and downs but at the end of the day we were fighting for the same aims.

"He was working to the end. Peter's attitude would now be to get on with it."