Virginia HargreavesA GREAT-grandmother from Warminster died while holidaying in The Gambia.

Virginia Hargreaves, 66, died from a suspected heart attack on Boxing Day, two days after she arrived in the west African country.

Her family have decided to donate any money collected for her funeral to help those affected by the Asian tsunami disaster, which happened the same day.

Mrs Hargreave's son Quentin, 49,

of Manor Gardens, Warminster, said: "She died around the same time that the tsunami struck.

"She had travelled all around that region, Thailand, Singapore and because we have seen the effects of the disaster we wanted to help.

"We are asking that any donations that she receives for her funeral go to the tsunami appeal.

"That is what she would have wanted and it seemed like the fitting thing to do."

Mrs Hargreaves leaves four children, Quentin, Adrian, Jon and Katrina, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Quentin said: "She really enjoyed life and worked hard and played hard.

"She lived to travel and for the last 20 years always spent her holidays abroad.

"She always went away for Christmas because she didn't like the fuss."

Mrs Hargreaves was born in Trowbridge Hospital in July 1938 and brought up in Melksham, where she went to school in Lowbourne.

She moved to Manchester in the early 1960s but returned to Wiltshire 30 years ago to settle in Warminster.

She worked as a cleaner for many local businesses including Nationwide, HSBC and Longleat.

Nationwide branch manager Gary Peachment said she was affectionately known as "Mrs H" around the office.

"He said: "It comes as a great shock to us all. She had worked here for many years and will be sorely missed.

"She was very proud of her family and used to talk about them all the time.

"Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

Her funeral will be at West Wiltshire Cremat-orium, Semington, on Thursday. Family flowers only.