A legendary Liverpool market trader and relentless campaigner on social issues has died at 55 after suffering with coronavirus.
John Foley has been described as the "father figure" of St John’s Market as well as a "thorn in the side" of those who he felt were doing wrong.
He passed away in the Royal Liverpool Hospital yesterday having fallen ill with the virus a short time ago.
He ran the Little Scouse Toyshop in St John’s and was one of the key figures in settling a recent dispute with the city council that led to the famous market being reopened.
He was also instrumental in removing the controversial litter enforcement company Kingdom from Liverpool, working with the ECHO to regularly expose claims about the behaviour of its officers that eventually led to the council cutting ties with the company.
John has also run a long-term fight for Ryanair workers as well as battling the council over other issues.
Colin Laphan was a close friend of John’s and is the chair of the St John’s Market Traders Association.
He said: “John was a huge character; he was the father figure for many in the market and was always going out of his way to help the other traders.
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“But he was also a huge campaigner on many issues including the litter squad and more recently the city care homes that were threatened with closure.
“John didn’t like bullies and he didn’t like injustice and if he also didn’t accept defeat – he just kept going until he believed justice had been done.”
Colin said John had started to feel unwell a couple of weeks ago and had stayed away from the market, but as his condition worsened he was taken into the Royal before being put on a ventilator this week.
Sadly he was pronounced dead yesterday.
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Colin added: “He was such a fighter, always fighting for other people and we are devastated that he lost this fight.
“He was like a bulldog when he got going, but he had a heart of gold and everything he campaigned on and fought for was to help others.”
John is sadly not the first St John’s trader to be lost to the virus.
Earlier in the year popular stallholder Ken Kayani lost his battle with Covid-19 just weeks after his wife had also died.
Colin said: “The idea that anyone could think this virus isn’t serious is insanity. We have lost two of our friends and traders – John had no other illnesses before he got covid.”
Paying tribute to John Colin, added: “He was everything that was good about Scousers, he was salt of the earth, a fighter for justice – he was what Liverpool is all about.”
Liverpool Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Richard Kemp campaigned on a number of issues with John and also paid tribute to him.
He said: “In the best possible way I would describe John as a pain in the backside for anyone who was doing something wrong, he would be on their trail forever.
“John was such a dedicated campaigner and I would urge anyone who has an issue with someone in power to remember John Foley and look at what he did.
“He showed that David can beat goliath – this is a very sad loss.”
John leaves behind three daughters.
