Ref. 25561-93Matt McCue, the man responsible for helping rid Swindon town centre from prostitutes, has died.

Mr McCue, 52, of Station Road, died suddenly yesterday morning in the Great Western Hospital, where he had spent the past fortnight with a stomach illness.

His parents, John, 71, and Jo, have vowed to continue the work of Street Watch, a group which their son set up to clear hookers from the area.

Mrs McCue said: "This is a shock. But his work won't die, it will go on.

"We plan to do as much as we can to maintain what good he has achieved for the community."

She paid tribute to his selfless nature and tireless efforts to improve the quality of life for residents.

She said: "He was ill in the night but told doctors: 'I'll be all right.'

"That was Matt all over, never wanting to put anyone out and always putting others before himself."

Mr McCue stood as a Conservative candidate for Central ward in the local elections last week.

In spite of being in hospital while his opponents were out canvassing, he still managed to boost the Tory vote to 25.5 per cent, up from 17 per cent in January, as Labour's Sinead Darker won the seat.

A self-employed mechanic, Mr McCue was brought up in the Broad Street area and made it his mission to tackle the scourge of prostitution, which left many residents too scared to leave their homes at night.

Since Street Watch began two years ago, the number of prostitutes seen on the streets has fallen from more than a dozen a night to two or three.

Every night Mr McCue, with the help of his parents, patrolled the town centre and recorded a list of the prostitutes, which was passed on to Swindon police.

The information has proved crucial in helping courts ban notorious prostitutes from the area.

An active member of the Broad Street Community Council, he was duly made its vice-chairman.

Coun Michael Dickinson (Lib Dem, Central) paid tribute to Mr McCue's dedication to the community.

He said: "We always got on well despite our political differences. Matt will be much missed by residents for his hard work in tackling the prostitution problem."

Mr McCue is survived by his parents, brothers John, 47, and Robert, 51, and sisters Marilyn, 49, and Lillian, 45.

His family are currently arranging a spiritualist funeral.

Victoria Tagg