THE manager of Durham Tees Valley Airport has added his voice to the tributes paid to campaigner Betty Amlin.

As previously reported in The Northern Echo, Betty Amlin died in the early hours of Friday morning after battling a chest infection.

The 90-year-old was instrumental in starting The Northern Echo’s Forgotten Hero campaign which led to £76,000 being raised to place a statue in memory of pilot officer Andrew Mynarski at Durham Tees Valley Airport – a former Royal Canadian Air Force base.

Airport manager Shaun Woods praised Mrs Amlin’s dedication to the cause and said: “Betty played a huge role in keeping alive the memories of the airfield’s role in defending Britain during the war—and the heroism of the air crews who flew from here.

“She was widely respected for her commitment and enthusiasm and it was wonderful that she was able to join in the celebrations when the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster visited the airport last summer.”

Mrs Amlin’s late husband Jimmy served in the RCAF and she is survived by a son, Edsel.