Tributes have been paid following the death of a local historian who was one of the driving forces behind Saltaire's successful bid for World Heritage status.

Former teacher Clive Woods, 61, had suffered from illness since he had a stroke a few years ago.

Originally from Lancaster, Mr Woods became a champion of Saltaire when he moved to the area and came up with the idea in the early 1990s to apply for heritage status.

His dream was realised in 2001, when the United National Educat-ional, Scientific and Cultural Organ-isation gave the site the thumbs up following a campaign backed by Saltaire Village Society, of which Mr Woods was chairman, traders, the then Shipley MP Chris Leslie and Bradford Council.

The decision was hailed the most important for Saltaire since the industrialist Sir Titus Salt decided to establish his purpose-built model mill village more than 150 years before.

Eddie Lawler, secretary of Saltaire Village Society, who was a friend of Mr Woods, said: "I think he was primarily responsible for Saltaire becoming a World Heritage site.

"He was a persistent person who was married to Saltaire, he made it his partner. He had been a teacher but he gave that up to run a second-hand book shop in Saltaire and took up legal studies and became a lawyer' for Saltaire.

"He saw his mission as making Bradford Council aware of its responsibility and he was certainly responsible for the renovation of Victoria Hall in Saltaire.

"In the 1980s and 90s he was a driving force and if you saw him in the street you could talk to him about your problems. He had been unwell after a stroke a few years ago and he never seemed the same after that."

In the last years of his life, Mr Woods devoted himself to Shipley Glen Tramway and became a trustee.

Richard Freeman, a spokesman for the charity, said: "He will be sadly missed by everyone involved with the tramway."

Bradford Council's executive member for environment and culture, Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, said: "He had the vision to make Saltaire become a World Heritage Site and we need more people like him who have a passion and pride in where they live. World Heritage Centre is very important to Bradford, there aren't many around Britain."

Coun Hawkesworth said it would be a shame Mr Woods would not be around to see the improvements for Roberts Park in Saltaire, following a £4.9 million Parks For People bid.