Who was Dame Vera Lynn?

Dame Vera Lynn who lived in Ditchling, East Sussex, has died aged 103.

Her family say she passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning.

In a statement, her family said she was "one of Britain's best-loved entertainers".

The singer, known as the Forces' Sweetheart, was famous for her songs, The White Cliffs Of Dover and We'll Meet Again.

Dame Vera moved to East Sussex in the 1960s and was an "integral part of village life" and known for her charitable work.

The Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity was set up in 2001 and is based at Cuckfield in West Sussex. It provides help for babies and young children with cerebral palsy and other motor learning difficulties.

Until very recently, Dame Vera visited the Charity on a regular basis.

Dame Vera's wartime spirit was rallied once again by the coronavirus pandemic.

She spoke in March and encouraged the public to keep calm and remain positive.

She said: "We all have a part to play in fighting the virus. I am reminded of World War Two, when the entire country pulled together and made great sacrifices."

• Listen to Dame Vera Lynn speak about the pandemic in March:

Dame Vera was synonymous with the South and openly supported the region.

In 2017, she backed a campaign to protect the future of the white cliffs of Dover.

The sale of the land had promoted fears the area alongside the cliffs could be sold to developers if The National Trust couldn't raise one million pounds to purchase it.

An appeal by the Trust raised a million pounds in just three weeks.

Dame Vera, whose wartime song about the cliffs made them - and her - famous, praised the public's generosity after more than 17,500 people made donations.

Dame Vera remained an outspoken supporter of military veterans throughout her life.

Ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE Day earlier this year, her greatest hits album 100 re-entered the charts, making Dame Vera the oldest artist to score a top 40 album in the UK.

People took to Twitter to remember her.

Her family has said further information regarding a memorial service will be announced at a later date.