ONE of Kidderminster's leading citizens has died aged 75 following a short illness.

Anne Broome, who had been an active member of the Liberal Party since joining with her husband Norman in 1962, was twice mayoress of the town and twice Wyre Forest District Council chairman's consort.

Mrs Broome also founded the Kidderminster and district branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind in 1977, which she chaired for 13 years, during which time more than £130,000 was raised for the charity.

Born of a Cleobury Mortimer farming family, she moved to Kidderminster after leaving school at 14 to work as a parlour maid, subsequently also serving as nanny to the children of GP Dr Maurice Nairac.

She was introduced to her future husband in 1942 and they were married in 1946.

Before the end of the war she left Dr Nairac's service to work in a munitions factory in Cleobury Mortimer and later worked in the offices of DCW Watkins and Charles Cox, Kidderminster.

She and her husband worked as a team and raised £8,300 for several charities while mayor and mayoress in 1976-77 and 1985-86 and council chairman and consort in 1982-83 and 1990-91.

It was Anne who first volunteered to stand for the council in 1970 when the Liberal Party was short of candidates for the Park ward, pushing her husband into taking up the challenge.

Kidderminster Civic Society secretary Charles Talbot said: "She was one of the most approachable, friendly people I've ever met. She was possessed of a full measure of country common sense and was greatly loved by us all."

He added: "Some months back she suffered from a shortness of breath and some complicated medical condition which resulted in something more drastic than we all feared."

The funeral service for Mrs Broome, who is survived by her husband, two daughters and five grandchildren, will take place at 12.30pm at Holy Innocents Church on Tuesday .