A minute’s silence will be held this week in memory of a councillor who died just days after being re-elected onto Dudley Council.

Councillor Richard Body, who was in his late 50s, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday 9th May.

He had served as a councillor on the local authority for nearly 20 years since 2004, and was re-elected in the Cradley & Wollescote ward in the early hours of Friday May 5th.

Tributes have been paid over the last few days to Councillor Body, who was a grandfather and married father-of-two.

Now council bosses have announced they will mark his service by holding a minute’s silence before the meeting of full council on Thursday night. Sue Greenaway, the Mayor of Dudley, said:

"I was very saddened to hear of Councillor Body’s sudden passing, which has come as a great shock to everyone on the council.

"Richard served nearly 20 years as a councillor, and was voted back in by the people of Cradley & Wollescote at the election earlier this month. He was liked and respected on both sides of the council chamber, and our thoughts are with his family at this time."