Tributes have been paid to John Beresford, a staunch trade unionist and campaigner against racism, who has died, aged 82.

John was remembered by members at the January meeting of Huddersfield Trades Council as a stalwart of the movement in Huddersfield.

During his many years supporting the cause, he was blacklisted by employers because of his trade union activities, campaigned strenuously against racism at a time when the cause was not popular and was at the forefront of the fight to prevent the far-right National Front from marching through the town in 1974.

He and his wife Irene were hailed as “fine examples of the best of the working class”.

Mr Beresford was born in Ashford, Kent, into a reasonably wealthy family.

His politics were influenced by his father, who was a communist and a teacher despite being born into a family which owned several businesses in Huddersfield.

After completing his National Service in the RAF, John was encouraged to go to Huddersfield to join the family business, which supplied all types of paper to shops and other firms.

It was thought that he would eventually take control when his uncle retired because John’s cousin was not interested in the business and had gone into farming.

Another uncle had a tobacconist shop in Huddersfield and both men were considered well-to-do at that time.

But John realised that business was not for him. His widow, Irene, said he did not like the “greedy grasping nature” of his two uncles, who were aghast when he quit to become a full-time worker for the Young Communist League (YCL).

That marked the start of a life of socialist activism which led to John becoming a well-known figure of the trade union movement.

John had a love of France, which came from spending the whole of the school summer holidays with a French family over three years. His dream to retire to a farm in France was realised when Irene retired. The couple settled in France in 1992 and have lived there ever since.

Typically, both of them continued to campaign – for the agricultural workers and against the closure of their local hospital.

John began to suffer from Parkinson’s disease three years ago. It was not too severe and the couple were managing it well. Unfortunately, late last year John’s health began to deteriorate and after tests the couple were given the devastating news that he had pancreatic cancer which had a poor prognosis.

John died on November 30, 2016, leaving his beloved Irene, a son Lee and a daughter Michelle.

Irene said: “He was the love of my life and I feel privileged to have had 45 years with such a kind and generous human being”.