Southwark’s town crier Peter Moore dies aged 70

Formerly an actor, Peter Moore had been a town crier for more than three decades.

Mr Moore was appointed town crier to the Mayor of London by Ken Livingstone soon after the Greater London Authority was set up. He was reappointed in 2008 by Boris Johnson.

In Southwark he regularly accompanied the Mayor of Southwark at civic events, and sometimes acted as mace-bearer.

For a time he was employed by the London Aquarium at County Hall to drum up trade for the attraction on the South Bank. It was whilst performing these duties that his bell was stolen in December 2001.

He later posted on the SE1 forum to announce the arrival of his new bell which had been made at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and sponsored by Tesco.

In 2002 he was one of the first people to cross the Millennium Bridge when it reopened after works to correct the infamous wobble.

Later that year he accompanied Southwark Mayor Hilary Wines when she led a skateboarding sheep across the bridge.

In 2003 the town crier chatted with Russian president Vladimir Putin during his visit to Southwark's Soviet War Memorial at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park.

Five years ago he opened a new cancer treatment facility at St Thomas' Hospital.

In 2005 he was master of ceremonies at the official dinner to celebrate 40 years of the modern borough of Southwark.

Peter Moore stood alongside Lord Attenborough at the opening of the new Unicorn Theatre for children in Tooley Street.

Three years ago he played a leading role in celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Borough Market.

Earlier this year he took part in a New Year workout in Jubilee Gardens led by GMTV's Mr Motivator.

He was a regular participant in the Twelfth Night festivities on Bankside staged by the Lions part theatre company where his role was to proclaim the coronation of King Bean and Queen Pea.

He was also known to generations of LBC radio listeners as 'Peter in Wandsworth', a regular caller and contributor to the Clive Bull show and other phone-in programmes.

Despite ill-health during 2009 he attended the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Soviet War Memorial and had attended the Mayor of Southwark's Christmas reception the day before his death.