MARY WEBB, a non-executive director of the Kent Messenger Group and a keen supporter of worthy causes, has died after a five-year battle with cancer. She was 55.

Mrs Webb was the sister of KM Group president Edwin Boorman. She died on New Year’s Day.

Mrs Webb spent her last days surrounded by family and friends at St Augustine’s Priory in Bilsington, near Ashford, where she was born.

The grandmother-of-five was a keen supporter of local charities despite becoming wheelchair-bound 15 years ago after being diagnosed with a disease of the nervous system.

She was a keen fund-raiser and started the annual craft fair at St Augustine’s Priory which has raised more than £200,000 for charity in the 15 years it has been going.

Most recently the money had gone towards buying a fast diagnosis scanning machine for the Celia Blakey Centre at the William Harvey Hospital at Ashford.

For 35 years Mrs Webb was married to farmer David Webb who died from cancer at the age of 64. She leaves a daughter Libby Harrison, 35, son John Webb, 29, and five grandsons.

Mrs Harrison said: "She was a real fighter. She was almost written off three years ago by the doctors but she always saw the bright side of things."

Kent Messenger Group chairman Geraldine Allinson said: "Everybody who knew Mary will know she was very kind, loving and warm-hearted."