TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved mother who “always put a smile on people’s faces”.

Jane Catamole, 46, was found on the beach at Stone Pier, in Dovercourt, in unexplained circumstances early on Friday.

Police and coastguards were called to the seafront at 6.30am.

Friends have been left devastated by her death.

Holly Joleen, of Victoria Street, Dovercourt, said she had been friends with Jane for years, with the pair taking kickboxing classes together.

She said: “I always remember Jane being such an amazing, great friend.

“She was such a lovely lady, we all miss her a lot – family and friends, including me.

“She was a great laugh, Jane always put a smile on people’s face and she always said to me if I needed a friend, she would be there for me – all I had to do was ask.

“I’m not sure what happened yet. No one knows what actually happened at the moment. All I know is that she was found on the beach.

“I have been for a walk down where she was found and have put flowers down. It hurts me every day knowing this has happened.”

Jane was good friends with the old and current owners of the Kings Arms pub, in High Street, Dovercourt, where she was a regular friendly face to many.

Marie Henshall remembers the evening she first met Jane and described her as the “life and soul of the party”.

She said: “Jane was a caring and fun person – I first met her in the Kings Arms on a karaoke night.

“We sang together for everyone’s entertainment, but ended up laughing 90 per cent of the song.

“She is one of those people that cared about everyone.

She would always make the effort to see how you were doing, no matter what she may be going through.

“Jane will be hugely missed. She was the life and soul of the party and always someone people could chat to about anything.”

The current owners of The Kings Arms, Joann Sims and Joanne Harfield, said: “We had known Jane or the last five months, which sadly isn’t that long, but she had had a big impact on our lives.

“When we took over the Kings Arms, she was one of the first to walk in to introduce herself.

“She was such a big character and she would help absolutely anyone if she could. She really was one of the most generous, kind and caring people we have ever met.

“No matter what she had going on in her life, she was always trying to make the people around her that she cared about smile, which to us is proof of her inner strength.”

Lesley Wood, previous landlord of The Kings Arms, said: “Jane was such a caring, loving person.

“We became friends when we had the Kings Arms and she was a great friend.

“She brought a lot of happy times to the Kings and we were so upset to hear of her death – she will be deeply missed.”

Jane’s death is being treated as unexplained, but is not thought to be suspicious.

Police are no longer investigating and have passed the case to the Essex coroner.