Sixty-seven-year-old Mike Solomon, who lived in Swaffham Road, opposite the gatehouse to Oxburgh Hall, served as a parish councillor for about 25 years during the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

When he died he was also chairman of the Hewars Charity, which uses income from letting land in the area to provide needy people and pensioners in Oxborough with heating fuel in the winter.

Oxborough Parish Council agreed to buy the £200 bench, and install it in the centre of the village, as a memento of Mr Solomon after consulting with his family. It bears a commemorative plaque.

Council clerk Mrs Susan Hernandez said: "He was always a great favourite in the village. Everyone enjoyed his company and his sudden and early death was a real shock to us all."

Council chairman Henry Lambert said Mr Solomon had not been ill for long before he went into hospital last summer, had two operations and died within a week.

"He was a very popular man in the village and had been there since 1972-73. He and his wife, Janet, and two of their friends fell in love with Oxborough, bought neighbouring plots and built bungalows in the village.

"The others moved on, but Mike was there from the day he married until the day he died."

Mr Lambert said the Solomons had two grown-up sons, Gavin and Nicholas, and daughter, Jo, and Mrs Solomon suffered from multiple sclerosis and now lived in Meadow House Nursing Home in Norwich Road, Swaffham.

The idea for the memorial bench was originally suggested by parish councillor Ernie Chapman, the chairman said.