THE funeral of an Army press officer who was killed in a helicopter accident in Sierra Leone is to be held in York on Friday.

The service for Major Vanessa Lang, 40, whose father, Major Robert Raine, and mother live in Haxby, will take place at St Wilfrid's Garrison Church, at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall, followed by interment at Haxby and Wigginton Cemetery.

Major Lang had been serving as an Army press officer with the British Army detachment in the war-ravaged West African state's capital, Freetown.

She was a passenger in a Russian-made Mi-24 Hind helicopter which crashed during a routine reconnaissance flight on October 19.

She was the widow of an Army officer and had no children. She was normally based with Headquarters 5 Division in Shrewsbury. She had served throughout the UK and in Northern Ireland and Cyprus.

Colonel David Bone, the Chief of Staff of 5 Division, said: "Vanessa was a hugely professional person, but at the same time was great fun. Her death is a great loss."

Major Lang was sister of Lynda and the late David, and sister-in-law of Judy.

Updated: 11:45 Wednesday, October 31, 2001