It is understood that the 77-year-old vice-chairman of Ashfield District Council died from a heart attack at his home on Windmill Avenue, Hucknall.

It happened on Thursday (December 10) – just hours before he was due to attend the pre-Christmas full meeting of the council at their headquarters in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

A minute's silence was held in the council chamber and the meeting was cancelled as a mark of respect.

Coun Riley's death comes just a week after he was given the honour of turning on Hucknall's Christmas lights at the town's annual carnival.

Tributes have already started to flow with Coun Riley's fellow Tory, Coun Mick Murphy, of Notts County Council, describing him as "Mr Hucknall".

Coun Riley lived in Hucknall all his life. He was the son of one of the town's most famous characters, Johnny Riley, and worked in his father's coal business from leaving school until his retirement 50 years later.

He was also well-known for his gardening ability – most notably through the spectacular chrysanthemums he grew.

In fact, he was only featured in the pages of the Dispatch this month when he took the second-best in show trophy at the 68th annual open show of Cinderhill and District Chrysanthemum Society, of which he was chairman.

Among the other tributes paid, one has come from Hucknall's most senior serving councillor, John Wilmott (Lab), who is deputy leader of Ashfield Council.

He had known Coun Riley for many years and says news of his death has come a terrible shock.

"Gordon has always been an excellent person and an excellent servant to Hucknall," said Coun Wilmott. "Everyone liked him.

"I was getting ready for the council meeting when I got a phone call to tell me the news. One of the councillors had only seen Gordon an hour or so beforehand.

"A shock went through me. I would not have been able to do the meeting.

"Only on Saturday (December 5), Gordon and I were helping to plant trees for the Tree O'Clock tree-planting world record attempt in Hucknall.

"It is absolutely out of the blue. He was a hard-working person and he will be missed. It is very, very sad.

"When we were younger, we played for the same cricket team, Hucknall United, for a short while. He opened the batting and was a medium-pace bowler.

"And one thing I remember about Gordon was his father and my grandfather used to go out regularly together."

Coun Murphy, of Hucknall, said: "It is a sad loss. I was only speaking to him as recently as Tuesday afternoon. It is a big loss to the community. I am absolutely stunned by it.

"He told me on Tuesday (December 8) that he was only feeling 50% at the moment. I told him to get himself home and get his feet up.

"I never thought that, a few days later, this would have happened."

Coun Gail Turner (Ind), the leader of the Independent Conservative Alliance at Ashfield, of which Coun Riley was a member, passed her condolences to his family.

Speaking at the cancellation of the full council meeting, she said: "He came to a group meeting on Monday (December 7) and played a full and active part in it. His death has come as a great shock to us all."