Former Redbridge councillor Graham Borrott, who spent more than 30 years representing Aldborough and Barkingside, has died at the age of 77.

The former mayor died suddenly after a heart attack at King George Hospital on Saturday, his family said.

Tory MP for Ilford North Lee Scott led tributes, describing Mr Borrott, who only stood down as a councillor in 2010 at the age of 73, as a “great servant to the council”.

And his widow, Pat Borrott, said he was a man who would always do his “utmost” to help people with their problems.

“He was very kind,” she said.

“He went on the council thinking he was going to change the world and put everything to rights, but it was not quite as easy as that.

“He would take on everybody’s problems and do his utmost to solve them. He enjoyed helping people.”

Mr Borrott served on the council between 1974-94 for Aldborough, with a stint as mayor in 1987/88 and two periods as deputy before and after, and then again between 1996 and 2010 for Barkingside.

He chose not to run in the 2010 council election because of his deteriorating hearing but remained on the board of governors at Valentines High School until June this year.

While on the council, Mr Borrott was a vocal advocate for the Redbridge Schools’ Sports Association, which seeks to encourage schoolchildren in the borough to develop a love of sport.

Group secretary Roger Taylor said: “He was a very sincere man and he took his work as a councillor very seriously.

“He was always at our meetings. He was a voice of experience and had obviously been around a long time. He obviously loved working for the borough of Redbridge.”

MP Mr Scott said: “I knew Graham and his family for 20 years.

It is a great shock - very very sad. He was great servant to the council.”

Mr Borrott is survived by his wife Pat, 76; twin sons David and Michael, 49; daughter Katherine, 45; and six grandsons.

• Did you know Graham Borrott. Email your tributes to sebastian.mann@archant.co.uk or call 0208 477 3821.