FAMILY and friends have paid tribute to a former special police constable who helped to build trust between the force and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community (LGBT).

Kevin Hills, from Plaistow Close, Whitehawk, was one of the first openly gay men to serve in Sussex Police, during the 90s.

He died aged 60 on Friday.

Mr Hills, affectionately known as ‘Rocky’, set up a gay and lesbian community forum at a time when the LGBT was still stigmatised and there was institutional homophobia in the force.

Friends said Mr Hills wanted to foster a better relationship between police and the LGBT community, and to encourage them to report hate crimes.

Uli H, who had known for over 20 years, said: “I met him as the first community liaison officer for Brighton Police.

“At the time in Brighton homophobic attacks were rife and the LGBT community had no faith in reporting crimes to the police because the force was seen as intrinsically homophobic.

“So Kevin challenged them from within, and his work led to a report which was then used to set up the Gay and Lesbian Community Forum.

“He hated injustice and he fought it, and that is inspirational - if we all had a bit of Kevin in ourselves the world would be a better place.”

Now thanks to the work of pioneers like him, Sussex Police enjoy a much more positive relationship with the LGBT community, and has its own LGBT police liaison officers.

The team works to encourage the reporting of homophobic, transphobic and biphobic incidents by reaching out to the community at events like Brighton Pride.

This year the force took part in the march and was centre stage with its own rainbow police car.

Mr Hills was also awarded a commendation for his bravery.

On February 4 1997 he and colleague were off-duty walking in St George’s Road, Brighton, when they saw a man acting suspiciously.

The pair hid before challenging him when they heard a window smash.

But when they tried to arrest the man, who struggled violently, he was pulled on to a window ledge and his face was cut requiring six stitches.

Mr Hills was born on November 12 1956 and he grew up in the Charlton area of London, before moving to Brighton in the late 1970s.

He worked in a club underneath the Queen’s Hotel in King’s Road, before renting a shop in Preston Road where he sold theatrical costumes, and later did floristry.

He also ran a wine bar called Barties.

In the 1990s he moved to Whitehawk, where in later life he enjoyed gardening.

He also became involved with St Cuthmans Church of England Church, in Whitehawk Way.

His niece Nicola Henry-Oram said: “He was very creative and he was a master at flower arranging.

“His garden looked like a garden centre.

“Because that really was what his passion was.

“He spent more time out in the garden when he was able to, than he did in the house.

He passed away from a short illness leaving sisters June and Sonia.