TRIBUTES were paid today to a woman who devoted much of her life to maintaining wartime links between the North-East of England and Canada.

St John Fisher Roman Catholic Church in Sedgefield was overflowing for the funeral of Betty Amlin, who died earlier this month, aged 90.

The congregation included representatives of the Canadian High Commission in London and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Mrs Amlin, whose late husband Jimmy was a first-class leading aircraftsman with the RCAF, was a leading light in the Middleton St George Memorial Association.

Ten years ago, she inspired a campaign to remember Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski, who sacrificed his own life in 1944 to save a crew-mate in a stricken Lancaster bomber. The aircraft had taken off from the site which is now Durham Tees Valley Airport.

Betty's campaign led to The Northern Echo raising £76,000 to erect a life-sized bronze statue of "The Forgotten Hero" outside St George Hotel, which overlooks the airport.

Lt. Col. Tressa Home, representing the Canadian High Commission, attended the funeral service, along with Lt. Col. Peter Holst, of the RCAF, and Suzanne Happe, of Veterans Affairs Canada.

Lt. Col. Home said: "Betty, Jimmy and their son Edsel have been great ambassadors of the RCAF. They have been true friends of Canada and very generous with their time."

Geoff Hill, chairman of the Middleton St George Memorial Association, read a poem in Betty's honour and described her as "an inspiration".

Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, gave the address at the service. He said Betty was a "little terrier of a woman" who had ensured through her determination, passion and sense of justice that an important wartime story would be remembered for generations.