A VILLAGE is in mourning for the loss of grandmother Eileen Swannack and her partner John Welch who were gunned down while they lay on a beach in Tunisia.

Bouquets of flowers and messages of condolences have been arriving at the 70-year-old's doorstep on Yatton Road in Biddestone, since the harrowing news broke that she was one of the British tourists missing along with Mr Welch, 74 from Corsham.

Neighbours and friends have described her as a lovely lady who was a huge part of the village as she had lived there for more than 40 years, devoting much of her time to helping the cricket and football club grow from strength-to-strength.

She married her late husband Edwin, also known as Eddie, in 1963 and they lived together in Bath before moving to Biddestone a year later. However in 2005, Mr Swannack, who for 16 years was president of Biddestone Football Club, died after being diagnosed with cancer.

It was after his death the mother of two, struck up a companionship with Mr Welch, of Pickwick Road in Corsham, whose partner had also died from cancer around the same time. They bonded over their shared grief and became a couple eight years ago.

Last week, they had been staying at the RIU Imperial Marhaba, which was one of the hotels attacked in Sousse - a place they "adore" and had stayed at on many occasions.

However, after the massacre on Friday the families of the pair grew increasingly worried when they did not hear from them and began preparing themselves for the worst.

On Sunday, their fears were confirmed as the Home Office gave one of Ms Swannack's sons, Desmond, the devastating news that the couple had been killed in the beach shootings.

Read tributes from neighbours and friends in Thursday's Gazette and Herald.