Elsie Smith, believed to be Swale’s oldest resident, has died. She was 102.

She was born Elsie Elliott in Bromley on January 8, 1915, and moved to Mill Street, Milton Regis with her parents when she was a baby along with her three sisters Florence, Emily and Queenie.

In 1936 Elsie married railway engineer Sydney Smith. The couple first lived with Elsie’s father before setting up home in Regis Crescent in 1955 after their home was condemned and demolished.

They had two sons, Bryan, now 76, and Mike, 71. Elsie ended up with four grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and four great,great grandchildren.

She lived with her husband until he died in 1974 and moved to Blair Park residential home in Crown Road, Milton Regis, 10 years ago.

Mike, well known in Swale as a newspaper photographer on the East Kent Gazette and later the Kent Messenger, took photographs of his mum for the papers when she turned 100 in 2015.

He recalled: “She had the time of her life at her 100th birthday party. She danced with the mayor Cllr George Bobbin and sang him a few songs. It was a nice day and she enjoyed getting her card from the Queen.”

Mrs Smith died in hospital on Friday.