A popular teacher described as an inspiration by loved ones has died after bravely speaking publicly about her two-year cancer battle.

Gill Slatter, from Whitstable, started documenting her fight with an aggressive form of the disease in 2020 by sharing regular updates on her Twitter page.

The 41-year-old - who was a deputy head teacher at Palmarsh Primary in Hythe - developed a huge following, with her posts seen by more than 20,000 people at a time.

But this morning Gill's family announced she tragically died in the early hours.

Writing online, her mother said: "We are heartbroken to tell you Gill passed away at about 5am today.

"Your support and encouragement during the years of her suffering meant so much to her and us, her family."

Gill had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013.

She underwent chemotherapy, before going into remission.

But just seven years later she was told the devastating news she had stage four bowel cancer.

In her last social media post, Gill revealed on December 22 she was in the same hospital ward that she had been in since the end of July.

"Unfortunately, the chemo has stopped working so I’m just relying on the wonderful NHS to keep me going," she wrote.

"I feel like I’m being surrounded by a big NHS family, along with my own who see me every day."

In October, she told how she suffered a bout of Covid.

In the same month, she also received a "unit of life-saving blood which was given to me to help my body cope with the chemo".

Following the announcement this morning, tributes poured in from more more than 1,000 people on Twitter.

"Gill’s love, humour, and kindness will shine forever as a beacon of hope and encouragement for others," one said.

"I’ll miss her updates, but most of all her humour."

"The world is a darker place without her presence but heaven has gained a tremendous angel..."

Many noted they only knew her through the online platform, but that she "touched so many lives, so many that she hadn't even met".

Social media user Martin Daly said: "Although I never met her, I knew her to be incredibly stoic, inspirational and kind despite being dealt the toughest of circumstances.

"The world is a darker place without her presence, but heaven has gained a tremendous angel."

Another follower, Sarah Harrison, stated Gill's "bravery, positive energy and selflessness knew no bounds".

Meanwhile, Ania Szypula noted her "unfading smile throughout this cancer fight amazed and inspired me".

Gill, who was an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan, campaigned to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer and the importance of donating blood.