Flags were flown at half mast at Epping Forest District Council in honour of a councillor whose funeral took place yesterday.

Penny Smith ward councillor for Broadley Common, Epping Upland and Nazeing died aged 55 after a short illness on June 12.

Tributes have been  paid by Cllr Smiths friends on the council and also by colleagues at Grange Farm Centre Trust in High Rd, Chigwell, of which she was chairman.

Former chairman Alex Pelican said: “Penny was a unique lady of incomparable integrity, devastating clarity of purpose and an indomitable administrator of the public purse.

“She was responsible and dedicated for not only the direction the trust took with its grants, the policy towards our contractors but also how our staff were looked after”.

The funeral was held at All Saints Epping Upland Church.