A former regional news editor who was “absolutely committed to local journalism” has been found dead in her flat in Vienna.

Tributes have been paid to Julie Barnes, left, who was 54 and previously worked at the Maidenhead Advertiser.

Julie had begun her career on the Advertiser, but moved to Austria in 1994 to work on English language radio station Blue Danube Radio.

The station later became FM4, with Julie serving as its news editor and broadcaster.

Her father Geoffrey told the Advertiser she had been due to fly to Turkey for a holiday, but he had contacted friends in Vienna after she failed to catch her flight or check in to her hotel.

Police found Julie had died in her bed at her flat.

Current Advertiser editor Martin Trepte, who trained under Julie and replaced her as news editor, said: “Her former colleagues at the Advertiser are devastated by the news of Julie’s death. She was a lovely person, great fun to work with and absolutely committed to local journalism.

“Everyone she encountered warmed to her instantly. She was an expert on local planning issues and when she left, her contacts at the council planning office even gave her a signed copy of the local plan.”

Julie grew up in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, and joined the Advertiser as a trainee reporter, working under then editor Don Seal.

After qualifying as a senior reporter she moved into PR but missed the bustle of local papers and returned to the Advertiser as chief reporter and later became news editor prior to her move abroad.

As well as running the newsdesk she wrote extensively on planning issues affecting the town, as well as writing a regular column on her interest in alternative medicine.

Former colleague Sean O’Meara added: “Julie Barnes was the kind of journalist we all wanted to be – she knew about everything, she knew everyone and she knew how to write a story about anything.

“Thanks to her knowledge, experience and unlimited patience I eventually found myself believing I could be a decent reporter too. I’ll always be grateful to her for that.”

Julie is survived by her father Geoffrey, mother Eileen and brother Michael. Her funeral is expected to take place in Vienna.

Said Geoffrey: “She was loved by everybody at the station and they are all distraught. She was extremely happy there. She was the light of my life.”