Family, friends and colleagues are struggling to come to terms with the death of popular Somerset County Gazette trainee reporter Leanne Gibbons.

Leanne, (23), died on July 9 in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being taken ill in April.

She was allowed to return to her family home in Tiverton after two-and-a-half weeks, but was rushed back to hospital ten days later after developing pancreatitis.

Leanne, who was single, lived with her parents, Cedric and Lesley, and her 21-year-old sister Kim.

She was educated at Sunningmead and Wilcombe School and Tiverton High School, before going on to the University of Plymouth, where she gained a 2.1 BA (hons) in media arts and history.

She worked in her spare time for Dorothy Perkins before joining the County Gazette as a trainee reporter in September 2003 and being assigned to the paper’s sister title, the Mid Devon Star.

Leanne, (below), had undertaken her training and was set to sit her final journalism exams in September.

County Gazette editor-in-Chief Ken Bird said: “We are all stunned by Leanne’s passing.

“As well as being an extremely promising and talented reporter, she was our ray of sunshine and we all loved working with her.

“Leanne was a lovely, bubbly person, who always had a smile on her face and never said a bad word about anyone.

“She will never be forgotten by those of us lucky enough to have known her.”

Leanne’s funeral was due to take place today at St Paul’s Church, Tiverton, followed by interment at the town’s cemetery.