A SEASONED campaigner who was the driving force behind Colne’s Millennium Green project died on New Year’s Eve.

David Rose, who dreamed up the idea of transforming blighted land in the Waterside area into a community green to mark the millennium celebrations, died after being taken ill during a journey back from spending the festive period in Scotland with his family.

Yesterday, people who knew David, who was in his fifties, paid tribute to their friend, describing him as a ‘tireless’ campaigner.

His wit, creative energy and companionship will be sadly missed, along with his efforts in the community, they said.

Waterside Coun Tony Greaves first met David through his involvement with the Liberals in the 1970s. After losing touch, the pair were reunited when David moved to Colne around 20 years ago and became involved in community projects.

David lived in Hawley Street, Waterside, with his wife Sue.

They spent Christmas on the Isle of Skye.

Coun Greaves said: “He was a great philosopher on life and everything else he did.

"He was a person you could always rely on for an informed and valuable opinion on things.

"I certainly valued his views. It’s a great loss to the community and people in the area.”

David was founder and chairman of the Millennium Green Trust, which organised funding for the scheme. When the building of the M65 extension was halted, it was his idea to transform the land into the Millennium Green.

Brian Jackson, of Colne’s Friends of the Earth group, campaigned alongside David on a number of projects and said he was a good friend.

He said: “David was a great lover of music and we used to swap cassettes and records.”

Over the last two decades David had worked behind the bar in the Admiral Lord Rodney, where he was also a regular.

David also leaves behind a family from a previous marriage.

Funeral details have yet to be announced.