Tributes have been paid to a well-known disabled rights campaigner who has become the island’s latest Covid-19 victim.

Registered blind David McWilliams, 74, lost his battle with coronavirus in hospital in Southport, having been airlifted to Merseyside following a fall at his home in Clagh Vane, Ballasalla.

In a touching tribute, his grandson Marcus Taylor, 19, said: ’You have been my role model, my guide, my best friend and most importantly the best granddad I could ever of asked for.

’I hope you rest easy Granddad and hope whatever I and the family accomplish in life will make you proud.’

Mr McWilliams had been airlifted to Walton Hospital in Liverpool six weeks ago for a spinal operation which he successfully got through before being transferred to the spinal unit at Southport Hospital for physical therapy. He died there on Monday evening, having contracted Covid-19.

The former chairman of Sailing for the Disabled was totally blind having lost his eyesight in an accident in childhood involving builders’ lime. He was also a type 2 diabetic.

A long-time committee member of Ballasalla & District Residents Association (BADRA), he also served as a Malew commissioner between 2001 and 2004.

Mr McWillams was no stranger to raising grievances on Tynwald Hill, having submitted petitions on topics such as benefit cuts for the vulnerable and the lack of provision for training visually impaired people in IT skills.

He also campaigned against plans for ’shared spaces’ which featured in one of the short-lived designs for the Douglas Promenade reconstruction project.

Grandson Marcus added: ’My Granddad was known and loved by so many people across the island and beyond. Helping as many people as he could especially in the blind community being blind himself.’

Friend and fellow member of BADRA, Eddie Power, described him as a ’great defender of the little man’.

He said: ’I like many island residents were on David’s speed dial. I quickly learned never ignore it because when he finally reached you, he would say "Where were you?".

’He would put his views strongly on many things including local and national politics. His way of dealing with it was to take it as a personal attack on him and fight it to the end.

’Anyone who upset him needed to be aware that David [pictured above] would not leave it. He would take to the top over anyone’s head, and if it went to the top in the island, he was not averse to going to the Lord of Mann in Buckingham Palace or the EU in Brussels.

’Anyone who spent time with him also knew he had a great sense of humour.

’There are many who David drove to despair sometimes, but no one can fault his determination to get a result.

’Sometimes black was white but we will miss his voice on Manx Radio, articles in the newspaper, his appearances on the hill at Tynwald and to many the phone ringing showing David Mack on the screen.

’I cannot talk about David with mentioning the love of his life Eileen - a wonderful lady, wife, mother, and grandmother, without whom I think sometimes David might have gone just that little bit too far. A corny line but she was his rock.’

Malew Commissioners posted: ’He was well-known and respected around Ballasalla village and the wider community.

’David took a great interest in local politics and cared much for the people of the island. He always wanted to ensure that people were treated fairly and with respect.’

Mr McWilliams’s daughter Daveen said: ’He knew so many and helped so many.’