Tributes have poured in for a popular young swimmer who died in a mountain bike accident while on holiday in Turkey.

Rosalind Fuller was a member of Gillingham’s Black Lion Swimming Club for years.

The 24-year-old, known as Roz, was on an adventure holiday in the Turkish coastal town of Kas in October, when she took a wrong turn on a bike ride and cycled into a five-way junction where she was hit by a taxi, an inquest opening heard.

Miss Fuller, who also has ties with Maidstone and Gravesend, was taken to the town’s hospital but died later that day.

A post-mortem examination carried out at Medway Maritime Hospital by pathologist Dr David Rouse found Miss Fuller, who had previously swum at county and regional level for the Black Lion, died of multiple injuries.

“It sounds like a cliché, but she really was popular with the other swimmers. She had a lot of close friends at the club... She always had something to say" - Steve Nickalls

Her former coach at the club, Steve Nickalls, said he was devastated to hear about her death. As a teenager she would exchange banter with him at the poolside.

Mr Nickalls said: “It sounds like a cliché, but she really was popular with the other swimmers. She had a lot of close friends at the club.”

He was her coach for roughly four years, from about 14 to 18, before she went to university.

“She didn’t like swimming more than 100 metres, she considered that long distance. But she was a very, very competent swimmer and she was competitive.

“Swimming is quite an unsociable sport really and coaching can be quite boring at times, just watching people go up and down. But with the older swimmers you could have a bit of banter, you didn’t treat them like kids. And she always had something to say.”

Rosalind’s mother Margaret used to officiate for the Black Lion and her brother Alex is also an ex member.

The club, which trains mainly at Strood Leisure Centre and Medway Park played a massive part in her life and as a teenager she went on a trip to Italy as part of its swim camp, in 2009.

A tribute on the club’s website said: “This has come as a big shock to us all and there are no words to express to say how sorry we are at hearing this sad news.

“BLSC wish our sincere condolences at this very sad time for her family. We all were very stunned to hear this news and still can’t believe that it really happened.

“During this difficult time, our thoughts are with Roz’s parents Margaret and Les, and her brother Alex.”

Coroner Patricia Harding gave a provisional date of Tuesday, February 2, for a full inquest into the death of Miss Fuller, whose address was given as Fennell Close, Barming, Maidstone.

Her parents are believed to live in Northfleet.