TRIBUTES have been paid by Burnley and Pendle councils to a woman who was killed in road accident near Clapham, North Yorkshire.

Mother-of-two Heather Smith, 35, of St Matthew Street, Burnley, was riding her motorbike towards Settle last Thursday when the accident happened at 7.50pm.

The accident also involved a Peugeot 205 driven by Jean Phinn, of Clapham, and Geoffrey Edward, of Milnthorpe, and an ERF tanker driven by Malcolm Jackson of Ingleton.

During the 15 years she worked at Pendle Council Heather became the Director's Secretary in the former contract services department.

She also worked in various other departments for the council and more recently, was the administration officer at the council's parks, cemeteries and outdoor recreation section.

In 2000, she moved to Burnley Borough Council to become administration manager of its parks department.

Colin Patten, manager of Pendle Council's parks, cemeteries and outdoor recreation department, who worked with Heather for most of her time at the council, said: "All her friends and colleagues at Pendle are devastated by her death.

"Heather played a major part in the on-going development of the parks department and was an influential and important member of its management team. She also played a significant role in the success of each of the other council departments she worked in during her career at Pendle.

"While we were sorry to see her leave Pendle, we were happy to support Heather with her ambitions and wished her well in her new career. "Our thoughts and prayers go to her family, especially her two young sons."

Heather was an administrative manager in the parks services department having joined Burnley Council last December.

A council spokesman said: "She was extremely well-liked and her colleagues are understandably very distressed at the news of her death."

The statement said since Heather joined the council she had 'already made a significant contribution to the work of parks services'.

Police are appealing for witnesses. Anyone who saw the accident is asked to contact Traffic Constable Paul Cockerill on 01756 793377.