A FORMER Waltham Forest mayor and long-time advocate of equal rights for immigrants has died at the age of 72.

Denise Liunberg was born in Mid Glamorgan, Wales in 1937 and moved to London at the age of 17, where she worked as a book keeper before going into politics in the early 1980s.

Daughter Hannah Burnett, 37, said: “She was a very important figure in the community. She touched a lot of people and she was a strong believer in equal rights.

“She did a lot of work to improve race relations as well as working with the Muslim and immigrant community.”

The mother-of-three and grandmother-of-five came from a mining family and was a staunch supporter of the miners during the strikes in the mid-1980s.

Mrs Burnett, of Fladgate Road, Leytonstone, said: “Her dad wasn't a miner but her family were miners.

“Seeing what they went through with ill health and the fact that they didn't really have any rights was quite a strong motivation for her to go into politics.”

Mrs Liunburg, a Labour councillor first for Lea Bridge ward and then Forest ward, became mayor in 1993.

Husband Olaf, 70, now living in Wales after living in St George's Road, Leyton, said: “She was quite a strong person and passionate about politics.

“She was chair of the race committee and she was chair of the housing committee as well. She was also Harry Cohen's election organiser – that involved a lot of work.”

He added that she chaired the Waltham Forest Citizens Advice Bureau and also worked tirelessly to help the immigrant community.

Mr Liunberg said: “She also tried to save the old Leyton Baths before they pulled it down. She was a strong supporter of that.”

During her tenure in local politics, she met Prince Charles and Lady Diana as well as '90s boyband E17.

Mrs Liunberg suffered from a heart condition and died on September 15 after an operation University College Hospital.

A funeral will be held on September 24 at the City of London cemetery and crematorium at 2.45pm.