CLOSE friends of a kind and thoughtful Worcester woman whose letters published in the Worcester News were read by many thousands of people, gathered to pay their last respects at her funeral on Thursday.

Sylvia Russell, 69, was killed after being struck by a Smith's Waste Management of Worcester refuse vehicle near Argos, in The Shambles, on September 29,

Her steady stream of correspondence to the paper showed her awareness of life in the city and covered a wide variety of topics from abandoned supermarket trolleys to coach travel and problem youths.

Leading the service at Astwood Crematorium, Rev Ken Boyce, of St Martin's Church, in the parish where she lived in Dent Close, told the 30 people present that despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, Sylvia was a quiet, gentle woman and urged everyone to remember her for her kind nature.

"She was a prolific letter writer and a good friend to the close circle of friends she had. Her past was something of a mystery with very few of her present day acquaintances having known her for more than nine or ten years. She had worked in the past at the laundry in St George's Lane, but very little else was known about her past."

Mr Boyce said the friends she had were well thought of.

"She would send them all cards at birthdays and Christmas and if she had a win at bingo she would spend it on flowers for her friends. She did enjoy trips out and enjoyed meeting her good friend, Len Presley, each week for a coffee and they would enjoy days out on bus trips," he said.

Mr Presley, who had known Miss Russell for around nine years said her death was a huge shock.

"She suffered from depression a lot and was in and out of depression all the time I knew her, but she was a very kind and thoughtful person and would help anyone if she could because she didn't like to see anyone suffering. We were very good friends," he said.

One of the floral recipients following Miss Presley's occasional wins at bingo was Jill Jupe, a lay member of St Martin's Church, who had been a friend of Miss Russell's for eight years.

"I was actually asked to keep an eye on Sylvia after her mother died. She looked up to her mother and she went through some dark times after her death. I eventually became a good friend of hers and she actually spent a couple of Christmases with us. I would visit her regularly for chats," she said.

One of the last people to receive one of Miss Russell's letters was Sally-Ann Cooksey, of Warndon.

Miss Cooksey said Miss Russell had been a friend of her mother, Valerie, for many years and they had written frequently to one another.

"They were old friends and when my mum died just over two years ago, Sylvia started writing a lot to me. She had posted a birthday card to me on the day she died and I was making plans to go and see her at Christmas," said Miss Cooksey.

An inquest into Miss Russell's death has been opened and adjourned.