TRIBUTES have been paid to a former pub owner, described as the life and soul of the party, who has died aged 39.

Mary Louise Mayoh, known as Louise, died in East Lancashire Hospice on July 13 after a five-year battle with breast cancer.

With husband Gareth she bought Craiglands, on Watery Lane, Darwen, in 2006 and turned it into The Old Function Room pub in 2013.

And Mr Mayoh, who was married to Louise for 16 years but had been with her for 22 years, said his wife was a 'ray of sunshine'.

He said: “She was a fantastic mother and wife. I've had so many comments on Facebook that show she was very popular.

“She was a Darrener through and through, everyone knew her.

“She loved being around and literally was the life and soul of the party. If you were at a party and Louise turned up, you’d know she was there.

“Louise didn’t want anyone wallowing in self-pity, let alone herself, despite what she was going through, and always had a smile on her face.

“She was a really strong lady and she was amazing to be as positive as she was.”

Mr Mayoh said his wife loved to travel and had a penchant for interior design.

He added: “She loved making cushions and working with fabrics. She did the interior design for The Old Function Room and when we built three houses behind the pub she did the fixtures and fittings for those. She had a real flair for it.

“Her dad was a bricklayer so she always got stuck in when we built the houses.

“She also loved to travel. If we went abroad without the kids we’d go further afield and her favourite places were India, Vietnam and Cambodia.”

Louise first became concerned about her health in 2013 but it took two years for her to get a diagnosis.

And Mr Mayoh urged women to listen to their bodies if they think that something is wrong.

He said: “She went back and forth to the doctors for two years because she knew something wasn’t right before she got treatment.

“She had an operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 2015, but she was told that secondary breast cancer of the bone had been discovered.

“But she never let it get her down. She was a very strong person but maybe she wasn’t strong enough in this situation with the doctors. She shielded the boys from her condition. She didn’t want them to be affected. She was a fantastic mother.

“She had planned to try to help other women in similar situations once the boys were older and understood better. But we would urge any women to be forceful if you think something is wrong. You know your body better than anyone else.”

Louise attended St Barnabas' Primary School and Moorland High School before getting her first job at Conservatory Coloured Glass.

She also worked for Alliance and Leicester and the Britannia Building Society, managing the Colne branch. She leaves sons Tom, nine, and Jack, eight, parents Keith and Mary and sister Laura.

Louise’s funeral take place today at St Barnabas' Church, Watery Lane, Darwen, followed by cremation at Pleasington Crematorium.