FAMILY and friends of taxi driver Ollie Fielding are delighted that the anniversary of his death last April is to be marked by the unveiling of a bench in Devizes.

Mr Fielding, who died aged 76, was a larger than life character who was well loved by the rest of the taxi driving community in the town.

Fellow driver Ian Moffatt started a fundraising appeal last year to pay for a bench to be put close to the taxi rank by Barclays Bank in St Johns Street.

He has now raised more than £1,000 for the bench which will be unveiled at 10am on April 7. It has been supplied by Devizes Town Council and will be maintained by the town.

He said: "I would like to thank everyone who contributed. We have now delivered the plaque to the town council and we are looking forward to the bench being put in place."

Mr Fielding, whose real name was Raymond, had run Ollie's Taxis since 2003. His partner Valerie Webb said: "It's so pleasing and comforting to realise how well Ollie, Ray to me, was thought of.

"This tribute organised by his taxi colleagues in wishing to have a lasting reminder of the man himself on the taxi rank he worked from, of a seat for all to use is so thoughtful and greatly appreciated."