‘Not one brick!’

Many in Burngreave, including the Messenger, have been saddened to hear of the death of Brian Wilson, community campaigner and long time scourge of the Council.

Brian was never afraid to speak up where he saw injustice. His ability to hold "the powers that be" to account and get under the skin of officials will be sadly missed.

Born in Wortley in 1948, the 8th of 9 children, he grew up on a council estate and worked in manufacturing industries as an engineer and manager. He moved to Shirecliffe in 1983 and was a shop steward until an accident in 1988 left him with epilepsy. He formed North Sheffield Action Group in 2001 and, with the slogan 'Not one brick!', was a driving force behind the fight against demolitions on Shirelcliffe and the campaign to close Parkwood Landfill.

Brian stood for the Socialist Alliance against David Blunkett in Brightside in 2001. In his election address he said, "All people have a right to a fair chance, but they will not get it without showing we will not lie down and be disregarded. Our cities and our country do not belong to people we trust to work on our behalf; they belong to us."

Brian died suddenly in the Northern General after a long battle with lung cancer and leaves his wife Jean and three children and five grandchildren.