A ‘dedicated’ 33-year-old nursery nurse has died after collapsing at home.

Jane Mitchell was found unconscious in the bath by her parents and was rushed to hospital. She died four days later.

Tributes have been paid to Jane, of Gordon Street, Colne.

Her friends and family have spoken of their shock at the death of the normally healthy woman.

Further tests are now expected to be carried out in a bid to discover what caused her death.

Her father, Dave Mitchell, a paramedic said: “Jane was just such a wonderful, lovely girl, she was so very bubbly and full of life and always happy. “ Jane, who worked at Toddle In Nursery in Colne, was found by her parents collapsed in the bath on Thursday evening.

She was taken by ambulance to Airedale General Hospital in Steeton before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary but she did not regain conciousness.

Her parents kept a bedside vigil at the neuro-intensive care unit before her life support machine was turned off in the early hours of Monday morning.

The actual cause of her death is still unknown and a post-mortem examination to try and establish what happened was due to take place yesterday.

Tributes have flooded in from friends, neighbours, colleagues and a Facebook group has been set up in her memory.

And Toddle In nursery has vowed to create a memorial garden in the nursery grounds to keep her memory alive.

The nursery will also be closing for the funeral, which is yet to be arranged, as a mark of respect and to allow staff and families to attend.

Mr Mitchell said: “She was a fantastic loyal friend who kept in touch with so many people from school and everywhere she had worked and visited. She would go out of her way for other people and would do anything for anyone. It is only now after seeing her facebook that we have realised just how popular and well known she was”

Her mother, Margaret Mitchell said: “Jane lived life to the full, she loved music especially A-ha, Lenny Kravitz , George Michael and Robbie Williams.

“She also loved musicals, we had recently been to London to see The Lion King and Chicago. Anytime any musicals were on in Manchester we would go to them.

“She also loved to travel, she had been to America a few times, she especially liked going to Disney Land. She had also been around Europe, and came with us on a cruise to St Petersburg in Russia and Norway.

“She loved working with children and when she wasn’t working she liked going out and spending time with our dog Rocky.”

Her funeral will take place on Wednesday at Christchurch in Colne at 10am. It will be followed by a service at Skipton Crematorium and a buffet at Colne Cricket Club.

The family have asked for any donations in her honour to be made to Children in Need and for family flowers only at the funeral. A memory book and collection has been started at the Toddle In nursery.

Former Park Primary school and Park High School pupil Jane had worked as a nursery nurse for 15 years since gaining her NNEB qualification at Burnley College when she was 18.

She had worked as a nursery nurse for Cosmos in Spain before moving to Pontins at Blackpool and Butlins in Ayr, Scotland.

She returned home to Colne where she worked at Foulridge nursery and Crow wood leisure and fitness in the crèche before working in the afterschool club at St John Southworths.

She set up the after school club at Park Primary School before working at the former Waterbridge Nursery and then Toddle In Nursery both in Colne.

Mr Mitchell added: “We want to thank the ambulance service, all the staff at the neuro-intensive care unit at Leeds General Hospital who were fantastic.

“We would also like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts including Colne fire station, all our neighbours, friends and Jane’s colleagues.”

Jessica Webber, proprietor of Toddle In nursery said: “Jane was a popular member of staff at Toddle In. She was a fiercely loyal, reliable, kind and extremely hard working member of the team with so many qualities that made being ‘a boss’ that much easier.

“She cared for and was well loved by numerous children over the three years that she worked here and had previously looked after many others at the former Waterbridge Nursery, Colne, Park Primary, Colne and St John Southworths, Nelson and even a holiday camp in Scotland.

“Jane adored her family and friends particularly her mum and dad, and relished telling stories of their time together.

“Both staff and parents are completely shocked but we have chosen not to tell the children as we feel this is a decision best left to the parents.

“It is such a massive loss to us all and Jane will be greatly missed.

"However, we have decided that we will honour Jane’s life by forming a memorial garden at nursery where everyone can contribute in some way to keeping Jane’s memory alive.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jane’s family at this tragic time.”

Her death has been referred to the coroner.

Jane leaves behind her mother Margaret, her father Dave, her sisters Tina and Tracey, Grandma Iris and extended family.