Fury over 'Beirut' slur on dead man's estate
And he accused a local independent councillor of 'ambulance chasing opportunism' by claiming links to the family.
John Bayliss, himself a member of Lichfield City Council, said he could hold his tongue no longer over a crop of salacious national newspaper stories.
The coverage – given apparent credence by quotes from Curborough councillor John Walker – has infuriated the grieving family of Mr Eccles, who was known as 'Ecky'.
A comparison of the Weston Road and Dimbles Lane area in which Mr Eccles lived and died to 'Beirut' was described as 'the last thing the area needs' by Mr Bayliss.
And suggestions Mr Eccles himself had previously consulted the independent over the alleged problems were completely refuted.
"The area has got some problems, it does need help but the last thing it needs is being described as Beirut," Mr Bayliss told the Mercury.
"We have got enough negativity – it isn't bloody Beirut, there's hundreds of good people here.
"I am livid about it."
Mr Bayliss – who says one of his first memories is bobbing apples with Mr Eccles at a friend's fifth birthday party – is struggling to come to terms with the death of his 'best friend of 38 years'.
"We have gone through life together and he was a fantastic man, a really lovely man," he said.
"To have his memory sullied by this independent councillor and his ludicrous crusade to take over the world is ridiculous.
"This is the most tragic thing to happen in the city for quite some time and he is trying to gain from it."
Mr Bayliss said he could not stand by and watch his brother-in-law's memory be 'dirtied'.
"This councillor's latest claim is that he was a good friend of Michael and my brother-in-law had spoken to him about the area," Mr Bayliss added.
"If he has ever spoken to Michael in his life then it would be just a 'hello' in passing, I don't believe it would have been at any length.
"I don't want people in this community thinking that Ecky was in any way at all connected or associated with that bloody moron.
"It is disrespectful to Michael's memory – he does not deserve to be used in his silly little political games and I won't accept it. How dare he?"
The independent councillor – who has continued to speak out on the incident since Mr Eccles' death – 'would not be welcome' at his funeral next week, said Mr Bayliss.
Himself a Conservative city councillor for Curborough, he stressed his outburst is apolitical.
"This is personal," Mr Bayliss added.
"This is purely because the man manipulates every situation to make himself look like a super-councillor.
"And now this silly, revolting little man has taken it upon himself, irrespective of our personal feelings, to use this tragedy for his own game.
"It just defies words."
■ What do readers think of life in the Dimbles and Weston Road? Contact the Mercury letters page with your views. The address to write to is on page 14.
■ Cathedral funeral and more tributes for Ecky: page 10
■ Appeal to trace potential witnesses to Michael Eccles' death: page 11.
Workmates of Michael Eccles are determined their much-missed colleague will never be forgotten. They downed tools yesterday, Wednesday, for us to take this stirring picture of them with a special Liverpool FC flag commemorating their production manager. "The flag is something from all the guys," said electrical maintenance engineer Martyn Sylvester, a close colleague of Mr Eccles. "He had countless friends at ROM. He got on with everybody and people can't praise him enough." (AW8525-0001LM)
