YORK & County Press reporter Hilary Sanders has died following a long illness. She was 57.

Hilary, who joined the company four years ago, covered the Ryedale district for the company's weekly paper, the Gazette & Herald, and her stories appeared frequently in the Evening Press.

She came to the company after a long and successful career as a freelance and magazine writer and editor.

She blossomed in her role as a district reporter, working chiefly from our Malton office.

She covered the patch with passion, determination and skill and during the course of her career amassed a huge list of contacts.

In addition to her reporting skills, Hilary, who lived at Kirby Misperton, between Malton and Pickering, also developed into a good photographer, with her photos often appearing in the paper.

She wrote poetry, which appeared in the Gazette & Herald under a pen name, and was a fine pianist.

"Hilary made an enormous contribution to our paper," said Gazette & Herald editor Bob McMillan. "She was a tenacious, intelligent and hard-working reporter.

"But more importantly, to those of us on the Gazette, she was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.

"We send our condolences to her husband, Mike, and her children."

The funeral service takes place tomorrow, at 1.30pm, at Woodlands Crematorium, Scarborough. Family flowers only, donations can be made to the MacMillan Unit at Scarborough General Hospital

Updated: 10:58 Thursday, June 19, 2003