A FORMER mayor, who hit the national headlines in an extraordinary row over wolf-whistling, has died at the age of 60.

Rita Fishwick, who was Darlington's civic leader from 1991 to 1992, died in the early hours of Saturday.

Mrs Fishwick gained national fame ten years ago when she defended the right of construction site workers to whistle at female passers-by.

Her comments were picked up on by The Sun which, in a leader article, declared: "This sensible lady is our pin-up."

She was also one of several councillors to condemn a decision not to allow the Chippendales to appear at Darlington's Dolphin Centre in another high-profile dispute.

Mrs Fishwick was born in Quetta, Pakistan, where her father, a regimental sergeant major, was stationed with the Army. She joined the Army herself at the age of 17, serving in the clerical and administration section of the Women's Royal Army Corps.

She married Donald Fishwick in 1961 and the couple moved to Darlington two years later.

She was elected to Darlington Borough Council in May 1976 and served on several committees before being unseated in 1995.

Mrs Fishwick, who worked at Press Construction, in Darlington, was also a dedicated volunteer for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.