A WELL-known and respected villager, who devoted her life to Belbroughton, has died.

Una Read, aged 76, died at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, on Friday, February 10.

She had been in hospital for about a month and had suffered pneumonia.

Una was a well-known figure in the village where she had lived all her life.

She had been a Belbroughton parish councillor since 1983. She also arranged flowers for the village church and her bread making, especially at the church's harvest festival, was renowned in Belbroughton.

Una had also been a governor at the village school and looked after and taken bookings for the Parish Room, in Hartle Lane.

Her husband Rex, aged 77, who has received more than 130 sympathy cards in memory of Una, said his wife was involved in most aspects of village life and "if it went on in Belbroughton then she was involved".

"She was a lovely, caring person who was well loved. Nobody could've had a better wife. She was marvellous."

Una and Rex first met at school where they were in the same class and later got engaged then married. They have four children - Kay, Timothy, Duncan and Jonathon. They now have six grandchildren - one grandson Ashley, who played for Bromsgrove Rovers FC, was killed in a car accident in 2002.

Parish council chairman Tim Cherry said it had been a pleasure working with Una. "She was terrific on the parish council because of her infinite knowledge of the village and was a lady who got things done," he said.

Una's funeral is due to take place today (Wednesday) at Holy Trinity Church, Belbroughton, at noon and will be followed by a burial.