DUP leader Arlene Foster has paid tribute to the party's former Larne mayor Bobby McKee following his death on Sunday aged 79.
A former UVF member, Mr McKee lost both legs in an explosion in 1974.
He was open about his past and turned his back on paramilitarism, being first elected to Larne Borough Council in 1989.
He was most recently its mayor in 2011/12 and retired in 2015 when it was amalgamated into Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
His brother Jack McKee, who died in 2015, was also a DUP councillor in Larne but defected to Jim McAllister's TUV.
A founder member and chairman of the NI Amputees Association, Bobby McKee received the MBE in 2004 for his work in politics.
Ms Foster said he was a dedicated public representative to the people of Larne for over 20 years.
“Leaving behind involvement in the Troubles earlier in his life, which also resulted in serious injury, Bobby focused on making his local area a better place for everyone.”
East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson said he was a "true gentleman" and he would personally miss his "charm and cheeky one-liners".
"He was involved in local politics during the most turbulent of times and carried the physical scars from the terrorist campaign which was waged against the people of Northern Ireland.
"In the past 24 hours, I have been inundated with messages from people who remember his kindness, his dedication to public life and the colourful way in which he approached politics."
