Tributes have been paid to campaigner Sylvia Lancaster following her death which was announced by her family on Tuesday.
Sylvia was the mother of Sophie Lancaster who was murdered after she and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were targeted for being goths in her local park in Bacup in 2007 in a crime that shocked the country
Sylvia has spent the time since then campaigning to create education programmes to combat prejudice and intolerance against those from alternative subcultures.
She was given an OBE in 2014 for her efforts.
In a statement the foundation she founded,The Sophie Lancaster charity said
“It is with great shock that we announce that Sylvia Lancaster passed away early this morning. She had suffered from ill health in recent years, but her death was unexpected. Sylvia had such a powerful life force; we cannot imagine a world without her in it.”
They added
“Sylvia was formidable. She challenged authority and fought for what she believed in. Her legacy is that Sophie will never be forgotten, and her daughter’s name will always represent her mission – to Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere. She will be sadly missed.”
