FAMILY, friends and comrades saluted lifelong communist and Morning Star champion George Wills at a moving celebration on Thursday.

The hall at Wat Tyler park in Pitsea was festooned with communist and peace movement flags, while photos reflected a lifetime of struggle.

Daughter Tanya and son John as well as nieces, in-laws and neighbours paid tribute to his grace, kindness and immense courage. His commitment to peace and socialism was stressed, including the panic caused when at 95 he disappeared — only for Tanya to learn he had travelled solo to the Royal Courts of Justice to attend a protest for Julian Assange.

Songs included Joe Hill, the Red Flag and the Internationale, and refreshments a cake iced with a hammer and sickle motif.

Political tributes were paid by Ben Chacko and Bernadette Keaveney for the Morning Star and Jonathan Havard and Robert Griffiths for the Communist Party, including acknowledgement of his unrivalled record as a Morning Star seller — with guests told to go away and match his 138 copies sold once at Burston.

The message was clear — while George will be terribly missed, his example will continue to inspire.