Tributes have been pouring in for former Labour councillor Dr Joan Tough who has died at the age of 82.

The mother-of-three suffered respiratory failure in Airedale General Hospital, Steeton.

Her daughter Alison Kerr said her mother had been ill for several months and had deteriorated over the last few weeks.

"It has been a terrible time and is very upsetting for the whole family," she added.

Dr Tough, who completed a PhD in education at Leeds University, lived in Eldwick and had served as a Bradford councillor for 12 years representing Toller between 1987 and 1995 and Clayton until last year.

During that time she had been a member of a number of education committees, sub-committees and panels and, when she died, was chairman of the early years partnership and heavily involved in outdoor education centres in the Bradford district.

Labour chief whip Councillor Tony Cairns (Lab, Tong) said: "Children had been her abiding passion when on the Council and even before that. She will be sadly missed for her expertise and I will miss her for her personality and for her co-operation. She was also a very dear friend."

Before her work as a councillor Dr Tough, who had three grandchildren, had lectured in education at Leeds University and across the world. She had also written books and was awarded a CBE for her efforts in the field. A former colleague at Leeds University, Dorothea Bennett said: "She will be remembered for her great contribution to the study of children in education. She was at the forefront of thinking and was ahead of her time. She really was an extraordinary person."

Councillor Keith Thomson (Lab, Wibsey), who worked closely with Dr Tough, said: "She was a wonderful woman and had the ability to know what was important and what was the key to human progress."

Dr Tough had also been deputy head at Buttershaw Infants' School and taught at Bingley Myrtle Park and Mornington Road schools. And at one time she was headteacher at Westow Junior School near York.

Tina Briggs, headteacher at Buttershaw Primary School, said: "She was a formidable woman and worked tirelessly for education in Bradford. She was quite revolutionary and her views were modern in her time."

A funeral service will take place at Nab Wood crematorium on Monday May 15 at 10am.

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