THE funeral of a woman who devoted her life to charity, raising more than £500,000, was held yesterday.

Louise Hutchinson MBE, former mayoress of Darlington, died last week at the age of 82.

Mourners gathered to pay their respects to Mrs Hutchinson - who was known as Louey - at a Requiem Mass in St Augustine's RC Church, Coniscliffe Road, Darlington.

Mrs Hutchinson, wife of Cockerton West borough councillor Clifford, was named Darlington Citizen of the Year in 1998, followed by the Bondgate Round Table Civic Award, and was given the MBE in 1989.

Father Michael Higginbottom said: "She worked in North Road Wagon Works during the war, and it was here that she started her life of fundraising for good causes. She started running raffles to help the soldiers at the Front.

"In 1974, Cliff became mayor and so she became mayoress and then she began her amazing life of charity work.

"She managed the Mayor's Charity Shop as a volunteer for 25 years, she worked for NSPCC and Family Help and helped found the Darlington (St Teresa's) Hospice Committee.

"She was delighted to receive the Poppy Medal from the Royal British Legion for the work she did in selling poppies."

He said that when asked about her work, she said: "One charity just seemed to lead to another, but I never thought I would get an MBE. Why should I? You do it because you enjoy it and because you are helping people."

Mrs Hutchinson, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Father Higginbottom said: "In a practical way she gave hope and help to the poor, the sick, and the lost."