Like me, I am sure you were all stunned and shocked by the terrible news that Jill Dando had been murdered in a horrifying attack outside her home in a quiet west London street, writes Chris Cowley, editor of the Oxford Mail.

It is almost too incredible to believe that she should meet her death in such an appalling way.

I fought back tears as I put together yesterday's front page of the special edition of the Oxford Mail.

I had known Jill some years ago when we trained as young journalists together. We shared digs at college in Cardiff and became good friends as we looked to the future with an excitement and ambition that was to take us on to greater things.

At the time, Jill never came across as a hard-hitting reporter - she was far too nice. She always was.

She said she wanted to go into television and, dare I say it, I thought then that she didn't really have the looks!

We lost touch as we progressed through the ranks of our careers and I can remember wondering what had become of her. Some time afterwards, I was staying at a hotel in York when I turned on the television and almost fell off the bed when I saw her reading the news on the BBC's breakfast programme - and reading it very well indeed, I must say.

This was a far cry from the days when I thought she wouldn't say boo to a goose.

How wrong I had been. She had learned to toughen up, blossomed into a talented and stunning presenter and become the face of the BBC as we know it today. From then on, Jill could do no wrong. She proved a massive favourite with the entire country as the presenter of programmes like Holiday and Crimewatch UK.

You would never hear anyone say a bad word about her.

She was lovable, friendly and fun with a zest for life that made her such a huge hit with the people.

Jill Dando was the girl next door, the one your mother would want you to invite home for Sunday lunch.

She was genuine through and through - a natural.

She had become such a part of our lives that we shall all miss her now she is no longer here.

Story date: Tuesday 27 April

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