Former Cheshire East Council leader Michael Jones has died at the age of 61.

Mr Jones was first elected to Cheshire East as the Conservative ward member for Bunbury in 2011 and became council leader the following year.

In December 2015 he announced he was stepping down as leader following the controversy surrounding the awarding of fitness contracts to a company which was owned by his physiotherapist.

After sitting as a non-grouped independent councillor for a short time, Mr Jones resigned from the council in 2017.

Former Cheshire East councillor David Marren, who has been Mr Jones' friend since they were both elected together in 2011, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I was very sad to learn Michael had died."

He added: "I know full well that some people liked him and some people didn't like him."

Former councillor David Marren (Credit: CEC)

Mr Marren said Mr Jones reduced council costs during his leadership and froze council tax for residents every year.

"He'd only been a councillor for a year when he became leader, which is a massive jump," added Mr Marren.

"Michael was the one that led the restructuring of Alderley Park, and he helped create both Macclesfield Town Council and Crewe Town Council.

"There had been some efforts before, certainly in Crewe, to create a town council and they had failed.

"Michael, as Cheshire East leader, was supportive of it. If he had been against it, it wouldn't have happened.

"That was a good thing for the town as far as I'm concerned.

"I accept he wasn't popular, but he did some good things."

Mr Jones' time as leader was marred by controversy, which included police investigations, but no charges were ever brought and he always strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Marren, who was an executive director at the former Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council, said: "As an experienced officer, I took the view that Michael personally hadn't broken any rules."

No details have been released yet about the funeral.