A former regional press journalist asked friends and colleagues to wear pink for her funeral after losing a cancer fight aged 39.

Sarah Veall, a former sub-editor on the Worcester News and deputy editor of the Redditch Advertiser, died last month following a lengthy battle with the illness.

Her funeral was held at Worcester Crematorium last Friday with pink dresses, shirts and ties the order of the day in accordance with Sarah’s wishes.

Sarah also left instructions that there was to be “no sadness” and the congregation entered to the song Heroes by David Bowie and left to the sound of Happy by Pharrell Williams.

The order of service for Sarah's funeral held last week

During her illness, Sarah had raised thousands of pounds for charity, organising neighbourhood parties that raised more than £1,500 a time, particularly for St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester.

As Sarah Cross, she had attended university in Sussex and then journalism college in Gloucester before landing her first job as a reporter on the Redditch Advertiser.

She worked as the paper’s district reporter for Alcester for two years, producing content for five change pages a week, before moving to the subs’ desk and finally taking on the role of deputy editor.

Sarah then moved on to the Hereford Times as a sub editor before joining the subbing team at Hylton Road, Worcester, designing news pages and features for the News, Berrow’s Worcester Journal and other titles.

Worcester News editor Peter John said: “Everyone in the newsroom was devastated to hear about Sarah. She was brave, sunny, optimistic, and never complained at her lot despite the pain and discomfort she endured for years.”

“There’s certainly a new angel in Heaven now and St Peter’s daily news sheet will definitely have a brighter and fresher look to it. As Sarah would say: “Come here, matey. I’ll do that.”

Fellow sub editor Pete Wallace added: “Sarah was the bravest, most inspirational person I have ever been fortunate enough to have the privilege to know. She bore her illness with such positivity and selflessness.

“Sarah was always putting others before herself, always approaching life with a smile and a joke, always the model professional journalist. All our lives are the richer forever for her tragically short time among us. We will miss her for all the rest of our lives.”