Hundreds of Swindonians are mourning the death of a man hailed as 'the heart of Swindon's Italian community.'

Francesco Mazzotta lost his battle with bowel cancer last month at Swindon's Great Western Hospital. He was 87.

Tributes for the former Swin-don railway boilerman have been pouring in to the family home in Eastcott Hill, bearing testament to his popularity.

The father-of-six got his first taste of Wiltshire life in 1942 when he was captured and put in a WWII Prisoner of War camp in Highworth.

Following his release in 1945, Francesco worked on a farm in Lechlade, before moving to Swin-don in 1954.

He said in an interview in 1969 that Swindon had made such an impact on him he decided to leave his native Filadelfia, in southern Italy, behind.

"I found such kindness and was so happy here that when I was released I decided to stay and make my home in Swindon," he said.

He travelled briefly to Italy to marry his childhood sweetheart Angela before returning to Swin-don.

Francesco, who also worked at Pressed Steel, then made it his mission to help fellow Italians escape the poverty in their homeland and set up home in Swindon.

His oldest son Vince, 53, of Gartons Road, Middleleaze, said that Francesco represented the Italian consulate in the town by arranging passport renewals, visas and pension claims.

Vince, a freelance car design consultant, said: "Everybody regarded him as a father figure. People would always come to him for advice and he helped many people set up their own businesses. He was the heart of the Italian community.

"My father always had a smile on his face and never had a bad name for anybody. He loved having his family around him, especially his seven grandchildren."

His other children, Pasquale, 51, Maria, 49, Antonia, 48, Vito, 44, and Carmela, 42, will remember him as a selfless, caring man, who always had time for everyone.

His friendliness extended to those he didn't know. Maria, of Shrivenham Road, said: "While getting ready for work he would prepare a flask of hot tea every morning for an old tramp who used to pass by the house.

"He also had a habit of inviting the local bobby in for a cup of tea."

Until this year Francesco had organised an annual coach trip for the Italian community to participate in the Glastonbury Pilgrimage, and every November he arranged a trip to the Italian soldiers' war cemetery in Brook-wood, Surrey.

A requiem mass will be held at 10.30am on Tuesday at Holy Rood church, followed by the funeral at Whitworth Road cemetery. All are welcome to attend.

Alex Emery