A FORMER Ulster Unionist assembly member who died on Tuesday has been remembered as a politician with a "long and distinguished career as a public representative" who was "held un very high esteem".
Billy Bell, who was married and a father-of-four, was 84.
He was first elected to Belfast City Council in 1976 and subsequently became lord mayor.
He also served as mayor of Lisburn.
Mr Bell was later elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, serving at Stormont until 2007 as a representative for Lagan Valley.
He also sat on numerous public bodies including the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum Board and the Board of the NI Housing Executive.
Robbie Butler, the Ulster Unionist Party’s Assembly Chief Whip, said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of Mr Bell's passing, adding that he had a "long and distinguished career as a public representative".
"Billy had the honour of representing the people of Lagan Valley in the Assembly - as I do now - and I have often heard his name mentioned by constituents," he said.
"He was one of those people who was held in very high esteem, even by those who may have regarded themselves as political opponents. Although he was a proud unionist to his core, Billy wanted to make politics work in Northern Ireland and to find a path to a better, peaceful and more prosperous future for all our people.
"He will be fondly remembered not just by his fellow Ulster Unionists, but by people right across Northern Ireland and indeed far beyond."
