A Wilsden teacher who swapped her Bradford job to teach children in Tanzania has died suddenly aged 58.

Hundreds of people had raised money for Ann Crabtree in her efforts to buy materials and improve education.

She died on Saturday in the Nairobi hospital to which she had been transferred during her mystery illness.

Today colleagues paid tribute to her work.

Freda Dunn, secretary of Bradford's branch of Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), of which Mrs Crabtree was elected chairman in 1995, said everyone was in deep shock.

"Her energy, enthusiasm and positive outlook on life was unbounded and her contributions to the developing world unstinting.

"She will be missed by everyone who knew her in this country and in Tanzania."

Mrs Crabtree was well known in Bradford's education circuit having taught at Oakworth First School and Copthorne School, Great Horton.

It was in September 1991 that Mrs Crabtree first went to Tanzania with the VSO, to a remote teacher training college.

It began a series of trips, punctuated by return visits home to see her family and collect materials for the children she met.

In 1993 she returned to Copthorne School, which had held open her job for two years while she worked overseas.

She retired soon after but kept her contacts in Tanzania and in February 1996 she left to become the deputy headteacher at Senegerema Primary School in the Mwanza region.

The school, which saw much expansion in her time there, was run by Dutch nuns who called her a gift from God.

The VSO in Bradford held barn dances, quizzes and jumble sales to support her work there.

Mrs Crabtree leaves two sisters and a brother, all from Bingley, two daughters and two grandchildren.

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