Community devastated by bike tragedy

10:45am Thursday 27th September 2007

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SHOCKED friends and colleagues are struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of a larger-than-life character who was killed in a road accident on Tuesday.

Jeannie Tolson, 49, of West Haddlesey, near Selby, died yesterday morning from injuries sustained when she was knocked from her bike after a collision with a Ford Transit van near her home.

The accident happened at around 7.30am on Tuesday, outside Westfields Farms in Main Street, West Haddlesey.

Jeannie, who worked as the advertising manager at the Selby Times, was taken to Pinderfields Hospital, in Wakefield, where she later died.

Shirley Torkington, landlady at The George & Dragon pub, in West Haddlesey, where Jeannie used to go drink with her husband, David, said everybody in the village was devastated by her death.

She said: "I can't believe this has happened. She was such a lovely woman - really bubbly - and I'm just in shock. We all are."

The managing director of the Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group, Helen Oldham, also paid tribute to Jeannie - whom she described as a "tremendous character" who was "fiercely determined".

She said: "The whole Selby Times team is still in shock at the news of Jeannie's sudden death.

"She was very highly regarded in the business community and we have received many calls from her advertising customers over the past 24 hours.

"Selby Times is mourning the loss of one of its most well thought of and successful members of staff."

Jeannie also spent a number of years working in the advertising department of The Press.

Our deputy editor, Bill Hearld, said he remembered a woman who was always smiling, passionate about her job and crazy about horses.

Barrie Shipley, who worked with Jeannie on the York Advertiser in the 1980s, said: "Jeannie always wanted to win and achieve her targets and she nearly always did. She was a good friend and colleague to a lot of people."

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the accident to phone investigating officer PC Grant Gibson, of the central area road policing group, on 0845 6060247.