A FORMER mayor of Southampton has passed away aged 91. The long-standing Redbridge councillor spent 25 years in local government, being first elected to the council in 1972, and will be “dearly missed”.

Patrick Allan was a city councillor until 1997, a soldier and was a former fire warden during the Second World War.

The father-of-six passed away peacefully on April 10.

Patrick arrived in Southampton aged just seven from Plymouth, where he was raised.

Living in the large port city, Patrick was a fire warden in Freemantle and Shirley when Southampton was heavily bombed during the Second World War.

While in the Royal Hampshire Regiment, he went on to be stationed in Benghazi, Libya, to protect the ports.

Patrick then went on to join the Labour Party in 1943.

A lifelong Saints fan, in 1976, he joined Lawrie McMenemy on the Saints bus to celebrate their FA Cup win.

A year later, Patrick joined Princess Alexandra to launch the opening of the Itchen Bridge, and was then elected Mayor of Southampton in 1980.

Southampton city councillor John Noon, who represents the Bargate ward, paid tribute.

He said: “I’m very, very sad to learn of the passing of Patrick. He was a gentleman, a man of great passion and he will be dearly missed. He was a member when I joined the council back in 1978 and an outstanding member of the Labour Party.”

Meeting Her Majesty The Queen on three occasions, he attended the royal garden party in 1980.

Together with his late wife Brenda, Patrick also helped to raise more than £20,000 towards the installation of Southampton General Hospital’s first Wessex Body Scanner in 1983.

His family members said: “Patrick will be remembered as one of life’s unique characters; a charming man who wanted to do good.”