TRIBUTES have been paid to a "passionate" veterinary surgeon who ran a practice in Braintree with her husband for more than a decade.

Elizabeth Blyth passed away, aged 90, at Ipswich Hospital on Wednesday, July 26.

Qualifying as a veterinary in 1951, Elizabeth and husband Tony had their own practice until the mid 60s.

The practice, started by Tony's father Douglas, was known as Blyth and Self then Blyth and Paton on a site that is now known as Blyth's Meadow.

The vets building and house where the couple used to live was later demolished to make way for Sainsbury’s car park, but the name remained in recognition of the couple's family.

In the mid 60s the couple and the practice relocated to Rayne where it remained until they retired and moved to Layer Breton near Colchester.

Elizabeth worked as a bookkeeper for the iconic Townrow department store in Braintree High Street after leaving the veterinary practice.

The couple moved to a residential care home in Woodbridge in 2011 before Tony passed away in 2015, aged 89.

Elizabeth leaves children Sarah, Penny and Simon, their partners Michael, Richard and Sandra, grandchildren Emma and Clare and great-grandchildren Poppy, Theo and Ivy.

Daughter Sarah Almond said: "Throughout her life she was really passionate about animals.

"She was more involved with small animals, and she could never get along with horses, but as children we always had puppies by the fire when their mothers had passed away, or lambs in the house that had been rejected by their mother.

"It was a wonderful childhood and we were always surrounded by animals.

"She was very very good at organising things and she ran the practice and kept everyone going. She will be greatly missed by all of the family."

A private family funeral will be held at Barton Glebe Woodland Christian Burial Ground near Cambridge on August 10 and a service of thanksgiving for Elizabeth is taking place on Friday at St Mary the Virgin, Layer Breton from 11am.