Popular north-east journalist Jill Neill lost her battle with cancer on 13 October, 2008.

She died, aged 50, after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Jill was the Richmond reporter for the Darlington and Stockton Times and The Northern Echo and had been with both titles for most of her working life.

She grew up and was educated in Darlington and originally started her career in local newspapers as a newsdesk secretary at The Echo in 1982.

After brief spells in PR, Jill retrained and returned as a reporter to the Richmond office, becoming a well-known figure around the town, going on assignments with her dog 'Badger'.

When she was diagnosed with cancer in December 2006, Jill faced the ordeal head-on and started fundraising for charity.

She completed three Great North Runs as well as the Race for Life events run by Cancer Research UK.

When she underwent chemotherapy Jill wrote about her experiences and what it was like to lose her hair, even posing for photographs with a wig in a bid to break down barriers for cancer sufferers.

She was consequently named Newsquest North-East's 2007 Employee of the Year and donated her winnings to the cancer charity Ovacome.

Malcolm Warne, editor of the Darlington and Stockton Times, said: "Although Jill started her career in Darlington, Jill loved Richmond and considered it the best job on the D&S.

"She was a workaholic, utterly committed to providing the town and district with a first-class news service. She was a first-class reporter but always modest about her considerable talents.

"Throughout her illness she was irrepressibly cheerful. She faced it head-on and her fortitude and attitude was inspirational to her colleagues and friends."

Northern Echo editor Peter Barron added: "She was one of the bravest people I have ever met and she will be greatly missed."