COLLEAGUES have paid tribute to the former chairman of the Liberal Democrats, John Ainslie, who has died.

Mr Ainslie, 85, known as Jack, and often referred to as Mr Wiltshire due to his devotion to public service, is said to have worked tirelessly for Wiltshire County Council during the 1980s.

He died at his home on Friday following three years of ill health.

County councillor John Spencer (Lib Dem, Devizes) described him as an inspiring leader and said he would be greatly missed.

"On behalf of all our members, I would like to pay tribute to his tireless support for the Liberal Democrat cause," he said.

Mr Ainslie's interest in politics began while he was a pupil at Harrow, from 1935 to 1940, where he lit fires and cleaned boots for a pupil called Keith Joseph, who went on to become Education Secretary during the 1980s.

After leaving school he worked on his Mildenhall cattle farm and his wife Shelagh suggested that, as a disillusioned Socialist, he should take an active interest in the Lib Dems.

He was first elected as county councillor in 1964 for the Preshute Division, which later became the Aldbourne and Ramsbury Division.

He went on to become the leader of the council, when the Lib Dems were in power.

One of his main interests was education and he was chairman of the council's education committee between 1973 and 1977.

He was made chairman of the council between 1986 and 1989.

"Not surprisingly, he became known as Mr Wiltshire, showing again his characteristic devotion to public service," said Coun Spencer. "During the 1970s he stood on several occasions as our Prospective Parliamentary Candidate.

"In his soon-to-be published memoirs, Sir Hugh-Jones recollects that when the alliance was formed between the SDP and the Liberal Parties in the early 1980s it meant that where there had been two candidates for a seat there could only now be one.

"It was perhaps the measure of the man that Jack fell on his sword and stood aside for the former SDP candidate, despite his strong following from the public.

"This illustrated Jack's fervent belief in the new Liberal Democrat Party above and beyond his own political advancement something many politicians could learn from today."

Mr Ainslie was an ambitious man and stood for Parliament during the Seventies and the European Parliament during the Eighties.

In 1983 he received an OBE from the Queen in recognition of his political and public service.

He remained president of the Devizes Liberal Democrat Constituency Party until his death.

"He will be greatly missed by us all, not only as an extremely generous benefactor, but also as an inspiring leader," added Coun Spencer.

Mr Ainslie and his wife had one son, three daughters and 11 grandchildren.

Mr Ainslie's funeral will be held on Thursday, January 18 at 2pm in Saint John The Evangelist Church, Mildenhall.