HE became an adopted son of Holmfirth and loved the town that he helped bring to life for TV viewers with his portrayal of Compo in Last Of The Summer Wine.

So the decision to scrap a £200,000 memorial garden in the town which would have included a bronze statue of actor Bill Owen in the character of Compo, may disappoint many.

But other villages have lost out too as councillors decided to cut a whole package of enhancement scheme spending.

Holmfirth will still attract visitors as Compo and his fellow conspirators in one of TV’s most enduring comedies live on in the people, the landscape and the very fabric of the town that Bill Owen came to love so much.