TRIBUTES have been flooding in for a leukaemia sufferer who died after a 12-month battle against the disease.

Surrounded by family and friends, Julia Hember, 33, died at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, on June 1.

On Tuesday her body was taken to St Etheldreda's Church, London, by horse-drawn carriage, where mourners gathered for her funeral.

The former Melksham schoolgirl spent several agonising months waiting for a life-saving stem cell transplant operation.

When a donor was finally found, she received treatment on March 6, and was slowly fighting back to full health.

But two weeks ago doctors at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, told her she only had days to live after a sharp increase in the level of cancerous cells in her body.

In a bid to find a donor match for Julia, the Wiltshire Times set up the Save A Life appeal to attract volunteers to join a blood donor register compiled by the Anthony Nolan Trust. Miss Hember's parents, Paul and Mary, of Codford, near Warminster, persuaded more than 1,000 people to join.

Virgin Mobile and Wiltshire County Council staff also donated samples.

Wiltshire County Council press officer Tim Champion, who helped to organise a donor clinic for the Anthony Nolan Trust, said: "I was personally very saddened to hear about Julia's death, and I'm sure I speak for everyone who attended the Anthony Nolan Trust clinic at County Hall.

"The county council was glad to be able to raise awareness of the trust and the need to find bone marrow matches for transplants for people with leukaemia.

"A significant number of members of staff from the county council are now on the bone marrow register, and we hope that at some point in the future we will be able to offer someone the chance of having a transplant."

Graham Billing, who taught Julia languages at Stonar School near Melksham, attended the funeral.

He said: "She was a great character and an extremely caring individual. She was a very talented artist and musician and was very good at languages.

"She contributed a great deal and I was delighted she went on to make it big in her profession.

"I was extremely shocked to hear the news. It is a great loss especially because she is so young."

To remember Julia, the Hember family are asking people to make donations to St Bartholomew's Hospital Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research Foundation, and are planning to hold an annual fundraising event for the hospital.

Cheques should be made payable to: Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research Fund (10008) and sent to: Mrs J Barton, Department of Medical Oncology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, 45 Little Britain, West Smith-field, London EC1A 7BE.