BY BERYL PATEMAN

A PEOPLE'S champion has been honoured by the community he served.

Borough councillor and welfare rights worker, Peter Axon, died suddenly last December.

His death was described as a blow, not only for Crewe's West End, where he lived and devoted much of his time to helping others, but also to the whole borough and beyond.

Now his fellow community workers and friends have installed a plaque paying tribute to his care and work for others.

It was unveiled at the O.U.R. House community centre which played an important part in his life, by the borough mayor, fellow Labour councillor Mrs Barbara Bickerton.

Working from the centre, near his home in Frank Webb Avenue, and with many other projects, the 59-year-old bachelor became an expert on welfare rights and IT training.

He died from a heart attack. He had suffered from angina, but only his family and close friends knew just how ill he was.

He ignored their pleas that he should 'slow down' and just days before the fatal attack was acting as an advocate at a benefits tribunal, running a bingo session and carrying out his duties at St Barnabas Church where he was secretary and a warden.

It was after years of working behind the scenes for the local Labour party that Peter gained a council seat at the beginning of last year. He represented the West End's Barnabas ward.

"The plaque in his memory will be a permanent tribute to his selfless service and devotion to others. He did such a lot for those in need and in trouble and made many friends. The West End misses him, but his helping hand also extended much further afield," said the chairman of O.U.R. House, Mrs Molly Byrne, who is also Peter's sister.

She took over the role of chair vacated by Peter.

She had just one regret on the day the memorial was unveiled - that their bachelor brother, John, with whom Peter shared a home, was not well enough to attend.

Oxleys Funeral Services, Crewe, donated the plaque.