‘LOCAL hero’ was the term many chose to describe the pensioner who died standing up for his community during the violence on August 8.

Richard Mannington Bowes, was a 68-year-old retired accountant with few friends and an estranged family living in Derbyshire.

But his family described him as a man with ‘strong values’, so resilient that he braced a raging mob in Ealing town centre in last summer’s riots who had set a bin alight near his home in Haven Green - and paid with his life. He was punched to the ground and died three days later in hospital from his head injuries.

The pensioner has now been nominated posthumously for our My Hero award by a shopkeeper whose business was destroyed on the fatal night.

Liz Pilgrim, owner of Baby-e in Ealing Green, said: “This man was killed in the Ealing riots. I think it would be sensitive and poignant to offer a posthumous award given the circumstances that he died, beaten up while trying to put out a fire a lit by rioters.”

Speaking on behalf of Mr Bowes’ sister Anne Wilderspin, her husband Michael welcomed the nomination just days after Hounslow teenager Darrell Desuze was revealed as his killer.

“We think that would be great,” he said. “The shopkeeper in Spring Bridge Road where Richard was knocked over said he was interested in doing a blue plaque for him as a memorial and the council said they were thinking about putting a seat on the green for him.”

Following his death, Ealing Council flew the union flag at half mast at the town hall and announced the Richard Mannington Bowes Relief Fund in his honour, a collection of donations to help riot victims.