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July 21, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 4:12pm

Paper stunned by reporter’s death

By Press Gazette

By Sarah Lagan

Somerset County Gazette trainee reporter Leanne Gibbons has died at just 23 after being taken ill in April.

She was allowed to return to her family home from Birmingham’s Queen
Elizabeth Hospital, but was rushed back 10 days later after developing
pancreatitis. She died on 9 July.

County Gazette editor-in-chief
Ken Bird said: “We are all stunned by Leanne’s passing. As well as
being an extremely promising and talented reporter, she was our ray of
sunshine and we all loved working with her.

“Leanne was a lovely, bubbly person, who always had a smile on her face and never said a bad word about anyone.

She will never be forgotten by those of us lucky enough to have known her.”

Educated
at Sunningmead and Wilcombe School and Tiverton High School, Gibbons
went on to the University of Plymouth, where she gained a 2:1 (Hons) in
Media Arts and History. She joined the Gazette as a trainee in
September 2003 and was later assigned to sister title the Mid Devon
Star.

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Leanne’s funeral took place at St Paul’s Church, Tiverton, on 15 July.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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