A former mayor who was devoted to politics and his family has died at the age of 93.

Charles Dobell, known as Ted, took an early interest in the world of politics and news when he helped his Eastbourne newsagent father collect the papers.

His interest grew and in 1980 he became Mayor of Eastbourne after a period as a Liberal Party town councillor.

He retired from politics four years later. But Mr Dobell's son-in-law, George Gatland, said he had never lost interest in his town or the people running it.

Mr Gatland said: "Being mayor was always his ambition. He and his wife Doris did a tremendous job in the year he was elected and must have attended more than 400 functions."

During his time as mayor Mr Dobell was awarded the freedom of the City of London by the Lord Mayor, a former Liberal MP for Eastbourne.

Mr Dobell, of Lascelles Terrace, was born in 1908 and attended Willowfield School in Eastbourne.

World War One broke out when he was six-years-old, and Mr Gatland recalled: "We used to drive him to Birling Gap and he would tell us how he had pushed a greengrocer's cart all the way from Seaside to the soldiers stationed there, full of supplies. He would probably only have been eight at the time."

Mr Dobell left school at 14 and moved to Redhill.

At 20 he met his future wife, Doris. The couple had three children Jean, John and Ken. The family lived in Kirkham, Blackpool, where Mr Dobell was stationed with the RAF in the Second World War.

They moved back to Eastbourne after the war and bought a small guesthouse in Pevensey Road.

The couple were keen to get into the hotel industry and bought the Fairlands Hotel in Lascelles Terrace in 1963. John died from cancer in 1998, but his wife still runs the hotel.

Mr Dobell ran two sports clubs in the town, Eastbourne Athletic Football Club and Eastbourne Martlets Cricket Club. He played grass bowls up to his 90th birthday.

Doris died last year and although Mr Dobell remained active he spent some of the last year of his life in a rest home.

He had seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, many of whom still live in the Eastbourne area.

Mr Gatland said his father-in-law had a tremendous sense of humour and was a great organiser of games and social events.

He said: "He had a great sense of humour and was great at parties. He loved to be doing things. He always told us we had to keep going and get on with it."

He died in Eastbourne District General Hospital on September 18.

His funeral will be held next Monday at Holy Trinity Church, at 11.45am, followed by a private cremation.

Friends are invited to attend a celebration of his life at the Hydro Hotel after the service.