Tributes have been paid to a Glasgow councillor who has died suddenly.
The city’s Labour group said it was “deeply saddened” that Cllr Gary Gray had passed away.
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Announcing the news on social media, the party said he was a “committed socialist who loved being a councillor”.
He was elected to Glasgow City Council as the representative for the Canal ward, which includes Possilpark, Milton and Ruchill, in 2017.
In a statement, the Labour group said: “It was with deep shock and sadness that we learned late yesterday of the sudden death of our colleague, Cllr Gary Gray.
“Our thoughts are with his family and all who loved him. Only days ago he was out campaigning in the community he was proud to represent.
“Canal Ward has lost a great champion and we have lost a much loved friend.”
Cllr Robert Mooney, the ward colleague of Cllr Gray since the 2017 council election paid tribute to his “thoughtful and kind” friend.
The Labour pair worked together in their community and Cllr Mooney said he finds it hard to imagine being a councillor without Cllr Gray.
He said: “It’s shocking, I’m struggling to come to terms with it.
“Both myself and Gary became councillors together. We’ve worked really closely, I find it difficult to think of life as a councillor without him we worked that closely together.
“He was a really thoughtful and kind person. He was loved by the community. He was born and bred in Possilpark and he was known by everyone.”
The two councillors had been out campaigning together just last Tuesday.
Cllr Mooney added Cllr Gray, who had health issues in recent weeks, was also a spiritualist minister and was loved by his congregation.
Council leader Susan Aitken said the SNP group was “deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of our Labour colleague Cllr Gary Gray”.
“Gary was well known and liked across the chamber and will be much missed. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and Glasgow Labour colleagues.”
Cllr Gray had previously represented the Milton ward, but stood down in 2005 amid a row over expenses.
Eva Murray, the Glasgow Labour group deputy leader, said: “You would not find a more committed socialist, I feel incredibly grateful to have gotten to know him over the past five years.”
Cllr Thomas Kerr, the Conservative group leader, said the news was “heartbreaking”.
“I know I speak for my entire group when I say Gary will be deeply missed by us all — he was such a joy to work with and a real champion for his community.”
Mr Gray, 49, was also known as one of Scotland’s most prominent spiritualists.
Along with with leading UFO enthusiast Ron Halliday, Mr Gray had worked on investigating strange phenomena, and in 2015 the pair claimed to have uncovered evidence of fairies living within the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh.
In 2011 he was given special permission by Edinburgh’s National Museum to study a collection of tiny coffins discovered in 1836 in a cove near the summit of the capital’s Arthur’s Seat.
