A FORMER Kent police inspector who once smoked a cigar given to him by Sir Winston Churchill to the chagrin of his family has died.

James Clackett, 79, a long-standing parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Faversham, had served for 30 years with Kent police.

He joined the force in 1950. As a country bobby on the beat in the Sevenoaks area he used to patrol Chartwell, the home of Churchill, and it was while there he was given the cigar.

He later became a sergeant in Canterbury during the 1960s, and in the 1970s became a traffic inspector in Gillingham.

He retired in September, 1980, as a station inspector at Rainham, but then worked for a time as an administrative officer.

A widower since 1995, he married Betty in 1951. Their first son Patrick was born in 1959 and Timothy arrived in 1961.

Patrick Clackett said of his father: "He was a strong, upright man who loved his family and was very supportive of friends and family. He was very encouraging and supported myself and Timothy to pursue our careers. His two grandchildren who will miss him dearly."

The funeral is on Tuesday, with mass at 10.45am at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Faversham, followed by a burial at the Love Lane cemetery at noon.