Tributes have poured in for war veteran Captain Tom Moore who captured the heart of a nation - and left his mark in our part of the world.

News of his death was announced on his Twitter page on Tuesday.

The 100-year-old NHS fundraising hero was admitted to hospital on Sunday, January 31 after being treated for pneumonia and testing positive for coronavirus.

He raised £30m by his 100th birthday walk and is also remembered locally as a businessman who lived in west Norfolk while working at a concrete firm in the 1980s.

The veteran also inspired people in Norfolk to take part in their own fundraising efforts for the NHS and was the subject of art pieces as a show of appreciation after he captured the nation's hearts.

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Cartoonist Rebecca Osborne was among those who paid tribute, drawing Captain Tom last year which gained national attention.

The cartoon was captioned with “some superheroes don’t wear capes, some wear medals” and was shared more than 2,000 times including by the veteran himself.

He tweeted: “I’ve just been sent this incredible picture from Rebecca Osborne - thank you my dear.”

A statement on his Twitter page by his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore on Sunday, January 31 said he was being treated for pneumonia over the last few weeks and last week tested positive for Covid-19.

She said the medical care he received in the last few weeks at Bedford Hospital had been "remarkable."

The army veteran, who was from Keighley in West Yorkshire, inspired the nation when he walked 100 laps of his garden in Bedfordshire, before his 100th birthday during the first lockdown last April.

He initially set out to raise £1,000 but instead raised more than £32 million for the NHS.

He was knighted by the Queen for his efforts and was given the honorary title of colonel on his 100th birthday.

He also lived near Welney with his late wife Pamela and their daughters Hannah and Lucy while working at Cawood Concrete.

He is fondly remembered locally for helping to save one of the biggest employers in the Fens while living in the area for a few years in the 1980s.

%image(14521173, type="article-full", alt="Photo from Janine Conlon: "I loved my time there, I worked there for 13 years till it was shut down",")

Christine Wilson recalled how her late husband Alan worked with "the legend" at the firm.

She said he was appointed manager of Cawood Concrete Products Ltd following the retirement of Alan Walton and instigated a management buy-out with other staff members, later renaming the firm March Concrete Products Ltd.

She said: “They traded from 1983 to 1987 very successfully and were then bought out by ARC and several of his staff were then made redundant.

%image(14521175, type="article-full", alt="Photo from Janine Conlon: "I loved my time there, I worked there for 13 years till it was shut down",")

“Mr Moore cared greatly for his staff in the factory and wanted guarantees from ARC that they would keep their jobs, which they did until the firm closed in 1992.

“Tom led a very happy and successful team and was always forward-thinking and very modest, trying to improve machinery for better performance of products; a really lovely man.”

Borough councillor Colin Rose said: "Sir Tom was an example to us all who should not be forgotten."

Hunstanton Town Council also paid tribute to him as a "hero who will be remembered for generations to come."

The council added: "Few of us could have hoped to inspire so many and touch the lives of millions around the world.

"He crammed more in to his later years than many of us do in a lifetime.

"His undying optimism in the face of adversity was truly inspirational.

"Councillors and staff at Hunstanton Town Council send our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this sad time."