Tributes paid to former Hackney councillor Eddie Barns

Tributes have been paid to a former Hackney councillor who has died after a long illness.

Eddie Barns, a former Springfield and Leabridge Ward councillor, has died aged 63 at his home in Kent.

Friend Patrick McGlynn, 50, described him as a fierce campaigner for the downtrodden and disadvantaged, adding: “Eddie is missed terribly by his many friends and family.

“He was a man of strong principles and he put them into action; resisting savage cuts to services during Margaret Thatcher’s tenure, founding and running an incapacity action group and working with vulnerable newcomers to Britain.

“Eddie was also a kind-hearted and generous friend who loved nothing better than to travel the world and meet people of all walks of life.”

Mr McGlynn added that his friend, who died on March 1, was a lifelong West Ham fan and a good footballer and tennis player.

A funeral will be held today at 3.20pm at South Essex Crematorium in Upminster, Essex.