A final tribute has been paid to a popular Norwich cancer support worker who passed away at the end of January.

Patricia Ann Mason finally succumbed to a near 20-year battle with skin cancer at the age of 66, dedicating a large part of her final 15 years to the Norwich branch of the Oesophageal Patients Association (OPA).

Miss Mason and her partner Rodney White ran a twice-yearly support group for oesophageal cancer patients at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Chairman and founder of the national OPA, David Kirby OBE, has paid tribute to the contributions of the Norwich volunteer.

'She had a wonderful sense of humour,' he said. 'She was a very nice person and it is very sad that she had to leave us so early in her life.

'I've known her for about 15 years, from when her partner Rodney developed oesophageal cancer. He and Pat came over to one of our meetings in Birmingham which support patients who have been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, of which I am a survivor myself and led me to set up the group.

'Rod and Pat found the group so helpful that it inspired them to set up the OPA group in Norwich, and of course the support that Pat gave him right from that point was really quite phenomenal.'

If you would like to find out more about the OPA log on to www.opa.org.uk