Tri-Service

Britain's Longest-Serving Poppy Seller Passes Away

One of Britain's longest-serving poppy sellers has died, after more than seven decades of fundraising for the Royal British Legion.

Olive Cooke dedicated 76 years of her life to raising money for the Royal British Legion and is believed to have sold around 30,000 poppies.

Mrs Cooke, 92, was found dead by police at the Avon Gorge by Clifton Suspension Bridge last week, two days before the anniversary of VE Day.

She began selling poppies when she was just 16, dedicating herself to the Royal British Legion after her husband, a sailor in the Royal Navy, was killed during the Second World War.

But the generous mother-of-three signed up for 27 direct debits, which left her in arrears and incurring bank charges, friend Michael Earley said.

"She was under pressure but they mustn't blame all the pestering of the charities," Mr Earley told BBC Radio Bristol, adding: "It was a combination of things. She also had ill health."

"It was the phone calls that may have broke the camel's back because the trouble is anybody that rang her to find out - in the end she wouldn't answer the phone.

"That caused a little bit of anxiety and of course the next thing we knew Olive passed away."