VILLAGERS are raising money to plant a tree in memory of “true Oxenhope legend” Clem Holmes.

People who knew and loved the local character have already donated more than £350 towards the £500 target.

Clem died last month in a fire at his caravan on Stone Lane, off Shaw Lane, and tributes poured in for the generous and funny former engineer.

Oxenhope Parish Council chairman Ken Eastwood has now set up fundraiser in order to plant a tree as a memorial to Clem in the Oxenhope Rose Garden, with support from the Rose Garden Friends Group.

He said: “A mature oak tree costs £500 to £2,500 depending on species and size. Any surplus funds raised will be donated to a charity suggested by the family.”

Clem lived on the land in Stone Lane for many years. He spent his working life as a mechanical engineer, particularly at Keighley firm John Feather, and was a regular at local hostelries the Idiot Hut and the Bay Horse.

In the tributes, many people alluded to Clem’s generosity and sense of humour, habit of speaking to people in what he claimed was Russian, and the potent ‘moonshine’ he used to make.