AN ASSEMBLY member is calling for a memorial to be set up to renowned artist Roger Cecil in his Abertillery hometown.

An independent body is still assessing whether Gwent Police will be investigated after Mr Cecil was found dead in Cwmbran.

Mr Cecil, 72, went missing after attending the Royal Gwent Hospital last Saturday. His body was found in a field off Treherbert Road on Tuesday.

Alun Davies, AM for Blaenau Gwent, has called for the memorial.

He said: “It really is tragic news and my thoughts are with the Cecil family at this time.

“Roger was a great artist and it’s important to recognise one of Wales’ greatest ever artists. I’m not sure his talents have always been truly appreciated in Blaenau Gwent.

“He was rooted in Abertillery and the Valleys and his Homage exhibition in 2011 was a tremendous body of work.

“He always spoke of his roots in the Valleys and expressed them through a valued art form.

“I hope we come together and remember his life and contribution to art and culture in the community and Wales as a whole.

“I hope there will be a memorial for him in Abertillery and an exhibition of his material in Blaenau Gwent, where he is rooted.”

Tributes have continued to pour in for the Abertillery man, whose abstract work was inspired by the Valleys' landscape.

Jeff Towns, 66, a bookseller in Swansea, who was an acquaintance of Mr Cecil, said: “I first met him a decade ago in Abertillery and he was a remarkable man and painter.

“He was a true eccentric artist in the nicest possible way.

“He loved R.S. Thomas and I sent him a book of his poems; he sent me a painting in return. I think I got the better deal.

“He was quite exceptional, but a bit of a secret in Wales. He lived to paint and that’s all that mattered to him.

“It’s a real sad loss.”

It is believed a concerned member of the public picked up Mr Cecil just after 12am on Sunday morning on the A4042 between Newport and Llanyrafon before he was dropped off close to Treherbert Road at around 1am.

When Mr Cecil, who suffered from dementia, was reported missing, a search began that included 50 officers and a helicopter.

Gwent Police had referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) because a witness had spoken to officers before Mr Cecil’s body was found.

A spokesman for the IPCC said: “We received the referral from Gwent Police on Wednesday.

“We are still assessing it at this stage to determine whether or not an investigation by the IPCC is required.”