TRIBUTES have been paid to a New Forest teenager who has died from a brain tumour.

Lucy Jones, 19, was taken ill after flying out to America, in July 1999, to work at a friend's map-making company.

She had emergency surgery before flying back to Britain for follow-up treatment in Southampton.

Fellow passengers included Scary Spice, who was travelling first class and sent a bouquet of flowers down to Lucy in business class.

Lucy had an intensive course of 33 radiotherapy sessions at the Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, between November 1999 and January last year.

She was upset when her hair fell out, but when asked about her condition always replied: "I'm okay."

However her condition deteriorated at the end of last summer and doctors discovered that the tumour on her brain stem was getting larger. A further course of chemotherapy was followed by another operation.

Lucy, of Barton-on-Sea, continued to decline and was admitted to Oakhaven Hospice, Lymington, in November, and given just seven weeks to live.

Her visitors included fellow former pupils of Arnewood School, New Milton.

By Christmas Day, Lucy was unable to see or communicate, and she died on New Year's Eve.