TRIBUTES have been paid to Gwent financier Sir Julian Hodge, 99, who died at the weekend.

Political figures, friends and charities were deeply saddened by his death. Multi-millionaire Sir Julian was raised in Pontllanfraith and died at his Jersey home in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Sir Julian established the Julian Hodge Bank and became one of the wealthiest men in the country, netting a personal fortune of £50m.

But he will mostly be remembered for his generosity. In memory of his late mother, he set up the Jane Hodge Foundation, which is one of the largest charitable foundations in Britain.

Closer to home, Sir Julian was a key player in the Argus' campaign to raise thousands of pounds for St Anne's, Gwent's only in-patient hospice. In 2001 he matched the £50,000 that you raised for our appeal.

Lyn Mortimer, fundraising office manager for St Anne's, said: "Thanks to Sir Julian's fantastic offer we doubled our funding.

"He did a lot of charity work but I think he had a soft spot for St Anne's. He will be sorely missed and we pass on our condolences to his family."

Islwyn MP Don Touhig said Sir Julian, a staunch socialist, remembered his heritage.

"He never forgot his roots," he said. "Sir Julian came from the Valleys, where we owe so much to our family and community."

Mr Touhig said people could draw inspiration from Sir Julian's success.

"He's a local, from Pontllanfraith, who worked very hard and made very good indeed," he said.

"It just shows what can be achieved with confidence. It's an important lesson to everybody - that determination."

Sir Julian was knighted in 1970 for his part in developing a Bank of Wales and breaking the dominance of London on the finance market.

The Euro-sceptic was also a prominent member of and funded the "No" campaign against devolution in Wales.