Tributes to 'brilliant grandma' who died when car went into Northampton river

A family have paid tribute to their "brilliant" mum and grandmother who died when her car went into a river.

Lesley Lee, 77, died when her red Fiat Panda left Rushmere Road in Northampton on Monday and ended up in the River Nene.

Ms Lee, who had lived in Roade in Northamptonshire all her life, was described by her family as a "kind, gentle and lovely" woman.

Her daughters Sarah and Nicola, and Lesley’s partner Steve, said she was a wonderful person, who was devoted to her family and loved her three grandchildren.

Their tribute said: “She was nurturing, a lovely person to be around, and always made sure her two girls knew, unequivocally, how much she loved them both."

“As a grandmother, Lesley was brilliant. She always wanted to help in any way she could including picking the children up after school and she was always very generous on birthdays and at Christmas.

“Lesley was a kind, gentle and lovely lady. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and always saw the best in people...she was always positive and a joy to be around.

“She was healthy and looked so good for her age, we thought she’d live to 100. To lose her in this way is devastating and it feels like we have lost a part of ourselves that no one can replace.

“She was such an exceptional lady - so loved, so deserving of good things, and she will be missed beyond words.”

Police have asked for anyone with dashcam footage to get in touch as they continue to investigate what happened.

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