HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn has paid tribute to one of the region's most respected and active campaigners for diabetics, who has died just weeks before she was due to be honoured at a special ceremony in Durham Cathedral.

Yvonne Simpson, 71, from Darlington, had been suffering from diabetes for 50 years and was due to receive a gold medal from the British Diabetes Society (BDA) at a very rare ceremony next month.

But an uncanny mistake by the BDA, which sent out her medal to mark her 50 years as an insulin dependent diabetic a month too early, meant she got to see the award before she died.

News of her death has brought a flood of tributes from both sufferers and doctors from around the North-East, who worked closely with her throughout her life.

As well as being a diabetic herself, she founded the Darlington branch of the BDA in 1969, and set up an advice clinic at the town's Memorial Hospital.

In the last few years of her life she worked closely with Alan Milburn, who has described her death as a tragic loss.

He said: "Yvonne worked tirelessly at the hospital and the wider community for many, many years. I remember Yvonne was a woman dedicated to the Darlington branch of the BDA which she helped to establish more than 30 years ago. She will be sorely missed."

His views have been echoed by former colleagues and friends. Dr Edward Barnes, a consultant physician and diabetoligist at Darlington Memorial Hospital, said: "Yvonne never hid away, she was always faced up to her condition and was an inspiration, and as well as setting up the Darlington branch of the BDA, she was the BDA, it was her life.

"She was a remarkable lady who was tireless in her work and greatly respected by diabetics and consultants alike. She will be sorely missed."

Her voluntary work at the hospital involved talking to recently diagnosed diabetics and offering advice on how to cope with the condition.

Fellow diabetic Peter Beaty, of Newton Aycliffe, said: "Yvonne worked tremendously hard to help sufferers, she always had time to talk and for many sufferers she was a tower of strength."

A funeral service will be held today at Darlington Crematorium, at 10.15am.

Floral tributes and donations for Diabetes UK can be sent to John Meynell Funeral Service, Stephenson Way, Newton Aycliffe.