The body of a mum who died in a freak accident while on holiday in France will be flown home today thanks to the generosity of people who raised the money to cover the repatriation costs.

Angie Dowsett, a former healthcare assistant at Stevenage's Lister Hospital, had been touring around France with her husband, Malcolm, in a campervan when they pulled into a truck-stop near Le Mans.

As she climbed up the stairs of the vehicle she fell backwards, hitting her head on a kerb and causing a massive bleed on her brain.

Angie, 56, went into a coma and was put on life support while her family rushed from the UK to be with her. She died three days later.

Her daughter, Kayleigh Clayton, said: "Our hearts are broken into thousands of pieces."

A GoFundMe page was set up by her three children - Ross, Kayleigh and Carl - to raise the £4,000 needed to bring Angie's body back to Stevenage, where she raised her family.

More than 170 people made donations, allowing Angie's body to be flown home today, arriving at Heathrow this afternoon.

Kayleigh, who runs Stevenage-based dance school Identity Dance, said: "The support has been incredible. It's so overwhelming and we want to say a massive thank you.

"If it wasn't for people's help in donating, I don't know what we would have done.

"My mum would have been so proud of them, and they should be proud of themselves for helping us."

Angie and Malcolm had planned to spend three weeks touring France, but decided to cut the trip short due to bad weather.

Kayleigh said: "Mum called me the day she had the accident and said they were going to start making their way to the ferry port. She was coming home."

Kayleigh described her mum, who worked in Lister's maternity unit, as funny and bubbly. "She never took life seriously," she said. "She was so caring and always put others before herself.

"She seemed to know everyone. We'd go shopping and she used to get stopped all the time.

"Mum is coming home, where she belongs. I cannot begin to thank everyone. I'm absolutely blown away and overwhelmed. It goes to show there are so many kind and caring people around us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If only she could see how loved she was."