FRIENDS and colleagues of Daphne Wheeler are mourning the loss of someone they say was "the spirit of Leckhampton".

The 79-year-old has died after keeping Echo readers in south Cheltenham up to date for more than two decades.

Despite suffering from a heart problem and arthritis, she managed to continue producing her handwritten notes for the Where I Live section of the paper.

Paul Ryder, chairman of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council, said: "She was a dear friend. What a wonderful woman. She spent hours on her little scooter going around the parish.

"She was a friend to all and an enemy to none, unless you had let your hedge get too big or something like that. She was the eyes and ears of the parish."

Mrs Wheeler and was from Leckhampton and known for trying to help disabled people.

Mr Ryder said: "She was like the spirit of Leckhampton. She was a fighter and she really thought the world of where she lived and the people that surrounded her."

Parish and borough councillor, Ken Buckland, had known Mrs Wheeler for 20 years.

He said: "Her heart was in the right place. She wanted to do all that she could within her physical limitations. It was purely and simply that she wanted to make herself useful. It was very much appreciated.

"Such people are very rare, but they tend to hold communities together. She was the oil in the wheels, more or less, through which things were able to happen."

Due to her physical problems, Mrs Wheeler had to be helped to get to parish council meetings.

Leckhampton resident Ken Johnston, who used to pick her up to drive her to the events, said: "Her coverage of the area was tremendous, week by week. She was so involved and interested in what was going on in the community.

"She'll be sadly missed. She was a tremendous lady, so full of energy."

Mrs Wheeler's funeral will be at 2pm tomorrow at Cheltenham Crematorium.