A WOMAN who lost her purse on her way to pay the remaining total of her mother's funeral flowers has thanked the community for donating money to help.

Shirley Gardiner, 53, of Walton, pleaded with strangers on Facebook to hand in her sparkly, black Tinkerbell purse to police, if it was found on February 7 when she lost it near High Street.

She was hours away from paying £115 into Walton Wonderblooms Florist on Mill Lane.

The Facebook post attracted more than 85 comments with condolences for Anni Gardiner, who died on January 25, aged 92.

But it was Frinton businesswoman Rosie De Koff's offer to donate which set the ball rolling and soon several more people offered to use their shop as a donation point.

Shirley's son Tom, 21, said the family are overwhelmed by the gesture and it still makes his mum tearful.

He said: "Of course, that coupled with the grief, it really got to her.

"I wasn't with mum at the time but when I came home, I found her crying and in such a state.

"But we couldn't believe the support we got on Facebook, we still think about it and it really shocked me.

"It's amazing in times of grief how people can come together and we're so thankful."

Anni Gardiner was born in Hamburg, Germany, and moved to Walton in the late fifties where she met husband Peter Gardiner, now a widower.

Their 47th wedding anniversary is on February 17, the day of the burial.

One of her much-loved jobs was a waitress at the Singing Kettle restaurant in Walton High Street.

She had six children and more than 30 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Tom said: "Nan was a people person, you could never fault her or find a bad bone in her body.

"She was one of those people who if you visited,the first thing she would ask is if you've had something to eat or drink.

"The response from people just goes to show how much of a community person she was - she supported charities, was helpful and genuinely a kind woman."