THIS year marks the tenth anniversary of the sad passing of a highly respected local politician who worked hard for all his constituents, young or old.

David Cairns, Member of Parliament for Inverclyde, was never far from the Telegraph camera as he did his rounds in our community, so it seems fitting to take a look back to some of the highlights of David's time as an Inverclyde MP.

David always believed newspapers were a vital part of a democracy, and when asked to help the Telegraph celebrate 150 years of publishing, he did so without hesitation. Although David was extremely busy, he took time to meet for a short photocall before an engagement.

THE kind-hearted MP donated a bottle of House of Commons Whisky to Sister Laurance and Sister Nula of Little Sisters of the Poor, to help raise building funds for an extensive renovation. The special whisky was gifted for an auction, organised to take place at the Little Sisters Ball, held to generate funds for the £11.8 million village complex under construction in 2003.

RESIDENTS of Crosshill Gardens invited us along when David dropped into the sheltered housing complex for a cuppa and a chat. There was some lively debate over tea and sandwiches, presenting this happy picture opportunity caught on camera in 2005.

ALTHOUGH used to being grilled by seasoned journalists in both print and television, David enjoyed question-time sessions with young people in our primary and secondary schools. Having attended school visitations of many kinds, the MP held the attention of the inquisitive minds as he addressed their probing questions.

DAVID'S untimely death in 2011 reached across the political divide, leaving many in our community stunned. Labour leader Ed Miliband was one of the many public figures who braved driving rain to pay their final respects at the funeral service held at St Patrick's Church, Greenock.