The husband of a “wonderful lady” has paid tribute to his wife who is to be buried with the ashes of her pet donkey.

Cath Devereux, of Aston End in Stevenage, died last week of bowel cancer after more than 50 years spent living in the town.

The 79-year-old moved to Stevenage in 1953 and worked as a medical secretary in the Bedwell area, as well as Knebworth, before retiring in 1998.

Mrs Devereux previously owned a donkey named Sophie, which had been well-known to students at Collenswood School, where she lived on an adjacent field until 2000.

Sophie was adopted by Mrs Devereux as a pet and she cared for her at her home for more than a decade, until the donkey’s death in April 2013.

Mrs Devereux was also known in the Chinese restaurant industry, opening the Hong Kong in Stevenage High Street with two colleagues in 1963.

She married husband Albert in 2005 after nearly 30 years together.

In a tribute to his wife,Mr Devereux said: “She was a really wonderful lady who I know will be dearly missed by a great many people.

“She was an incredibly caring and considerate woman who was always good fun. I have received lots of letters in the short time since she died.

“More than anything, Cath really loved her pet donkey. She was devastated when Sophie passed away and I know she would want to be buried with her ashes.”

Mrs Devereux is survived by her husband Albert, her three sons Simon, Andrew and Phil, and seven grandchildren.

Her funeral will be held at the Harwood Park Crematorium in Stevenage on Thursday at 2pm.