TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular former Lancashire Telegraph journalist who has died suddenly aged 38.

Family and friends have recalled how Samrana Hussain, a former Pendle reporter for the paper, was a ‘firecracker’ who brightened up the lives of all who knew her.

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Bradford-born Samrana is understood to have been celebrating New Year’s Eve at a friend’s house when she was taken ill with breathing difficulties, and died later.

Her sister Arooj Hussain said: “Samrana did so much.

“She was a firecracker who lit up all the skies she graced.”

In her time at the Telegraph, Samrana was commended in the national trainee of the year award category, run by publisher Newsquest in 2008.

Later she left to embark on a traineeship with ITV News in Manchester.

Her freelance career highlights included covering the London 2012 Olympics and the Yorkshire leg of the Tour de France, as as well as penning articles for The Guardian and Al-Jazeera.

Tributes have been relayed from around the world, through friends she made while covering other games.

Helen Greaney, one of her former Telegraph colleagues, said: “She was always up for a laugh, full of beans and looking for a new challenge whether it was a crazy recipe she wanted to concoct or a jaunt to Beijing.

“She kept me enthralled with her interest in travelling the world, through volunteering and work, making friends everywhere she went.”

Samrana leaves her mother, Fazilat Din, and brother, Billal Hussain.

Her funeral took place yesterday at the Victor Street mosque in Bradford.