A County Durham woman has become county patron of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Virginia Trotter, from Staindrop, hopes to raise the profile of the charity

Mrs Trotter, who was awarded the MBE in 2000 for services to the community, said: "I've seen the good work the nurses do, as my own mother died of cancer. However, people don't really realise what a fantastic job they do, unless they are involved with someone who has cancer."