Friends and family were today saying goodbye to a much-loved man who was passionate about his village.

Wilsden Village Society chairman Martin Harrison died on January 15 after suddenly contracting pneumonia.

The 47-year-old was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary a week earlier suffering from pains in his side.

In intensive care he was put on a ventilator and given two courses of antibiotics.

But the treatment failed because he had a weakened immune system due to previous radium treatment to combat a tumour behind his right eye.

For eight years Mr Harrison was a passionate member of Wilsden Village Society and was chairman for the past three years.

Society vice chairman Chris Exley said he would be missed as a friend and a hard-working member of the society.

"He loved Wilsden with all his heart as if he had been born and bred here and he will be greatly missed," he said.

Denise Wilson, chairman of Wilsden village hall's management committee, worked on various community projects with Mr Harrison.

"He was very committed and enthusiastic and I enjoyed working with him," she said.

"One of his pet projects was the bus shelter which ended up being metres away from the bus stop.

"He was very precious and passionate about Wilsden and he worked hard to get things sorted out."

A former Salt Grammar School pupil, Mr Harrison spent his career working for Bradford Health Authority and was Director when he took early retirement because of ill health.

He and wife Anne shared their home with his parents Isle and Joseph Gartland.

His mother said: "He was a dear, dear son and he was one in a million."

Mr Harrison's funeral was being held today at St Mary's church, Cottingley, followed by a service at Nab Wood Crematorium and a reception at St Ives golf club.