FAMILY and friends were this week mourning the loss of former mayor of Salisbury Pauline Stocken.

Mrs Stocken was an escort to Lady Benson in 1969, mayoress to her architect husband Anthony Stocken when he held the office in 1975-76 and then mayor in her own right in 1988-89.

She had been ill for the past four-and-a-half years and died in hospital on Sunday, aged 73.

Educated in Bournemouth and later at La Retraite School, Salisbury, Mrs Stocken became a qualified medical laboratory technician and was an associate of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology.

She married in 1955 and she and her husband lived for more 26 years in Wilton, where they brought up their children Michael, now a solicitor, and Sarah, a speech therapist.

Mrs Stocken joined her husband on Salisbury district council when she was elected a member for St Martin's - the same ward as Mr Stocken - in 1981.

She remained a member of the council for the next 16 years, serving as vice-chairman from 1996-97.

She was also a member of the Salisbury Charter Trustees, a member of the Friary Residents' Association, a past member and former president of the Salisbury Inner Wheel Club and past president of Salisbury St John Ambulance Brigade.