MARKET Lavington mother Joy Crook is mourning the loss of her daughter, Rachel Stephens, after she tragically died while on holiday in Menorca.

Mrs Stephens, who was 33, had spent six days on the Spanish island with her husband, Andy, and their daughter Alice, four, when she became unwell on May 27 and died as a result of a burst aneurysm.

Tragically, Mrs Stevens was seven months pregnant and her unborn baby died also.

Mrs Stephens and her husband, of Basingstoke, were particularly looking forward to the birth as Mrs Stephens had miscarried twice.

Mrs Stephens grew up in Market Lavington, where her mother still lives.

Mrs Crook, 70, said: "Rachel was a lovely girl.

"She was happy and bubbly and very generous and thoughtful. I can't comprehend her death."

Mrs Crook said her daughter had become unwell when they returned to their hotel room after a day by the swimming pool.

Mrs Crook said: "Rachel decided to have a bath and she had a pain in her chest. It got worse and she couldn't breathe so the doctor was sent for and an ambulance was called.

"She was rushed to the hospital in Menorca but she didn't make it.

"She went into a coma and was resuscitated but she died of a heart attack caused by an aneurysm.

"The doctors told us that you can't detect aneurysms and it could have happened anywhere at anytime. Rachel had no health problems at all, that was the tragic thing about it."

Mrs Crook flew out to Menorca with her daughter's father-in-law. Holiday firm Thomson sent out a counsellor to support the family.

Mrs Crook said Mr Stephens, 33, was devastated by his wife's death.

She said: "They were both looking forward to the birth of their baby. Rachel had lost two babies after Alice was born and when she became pregnant again they were over the moon."

Mrs Stephens was the only child of Mrs Crook and her late husband, Don, who was the managing director of SCC Transport on the Hopton Industrial Estate, Devizes.

She went to Dauntsey's Primary School in West Lavington and was a Brownie with the local group in West Lavington.

She went to Lavington School and at 16 she went to Salisbury College and completed a two-year City and Guilds course in confectionary.

After completing the course she moved to Basingstoke and worked for a confectionary company supplying specialist cakes.

She married Mr Stephens, a technician at a firm in Basingstoke which makes instruments for aircraft, in 1996 at Wentworth Golf Club.

They decided to marry there because Mr Stephens was a keen golfer.

After they married Mrs Stephens gave up work.

Mrs Stephens and Alice would visit her mother and father in Market Lavington regularly and they would visit her at home in Basingstoke.

After the death of her father Mrs Stephens decorated her mother's home.

Mrs Crook said: "She did lots of things for me.

"She was very artistic and she did all the decorating in the house for me. She was a great daughter."

The funeral service takes place tomorrow (Friday) at Aldershot Crematorium.