Tributes were paid today to a woman who was found dead with her dog in the River Cherwell in North Oxford.

The family of Mrs Ann Powles from Hobson Road, Summertown, Oxford, who died of heart failure after falling into the River Cherwell, released the following tribute.

Mrs Powles’s children, Stephen, Christopher, Clare and Julia, described their mother as a ‘super granny’ who adored her grandchildren and worked tirelessly to help people in the community.

They said: “Our mother was deeply religious and her faith and the church were very important to her. She was a regular member of the congregation at St Michael and All Angels Church in Summertown, and also attended St Aldates.

"The church was a crucial part of her life, and the local vicar, Jan Rushton, came out to support us during the search.”

Mrs Powles also raised funds for the church by cooking meals and selling them and she was very involved with the local toddler group.

The family added: “Our mother adored children and gave them all unconditional love. It was the toddler group who raised the alarm when she failed to turn up at her regular session because it was so out of character for her not to be there.

“Caring for elderly people in the community was also a very important part of her life, and our mother had incredible compassion and believed it was her duty to care for people.

"She had always cooked, cleaned and taken care of elderly people on a voluntary basis, and once a month she would cook lunch for a group of 20-30 elderly people at the Cutteslowe Community Centre in North Oxford.

"Hospital driving was another of her voluntary jobs, and our mother would regularly take elderly patients to hospital.”

Mrs Powles was born in the UK and after leaving school worked for the Civil Service in London. She moved to East Africa with her parents and it was there that she met her future husband and three of her four children were born.

A widow since 1974, Mrs Powles moved to Oxford in 2003 to be close to her grandchildren.

The family added: “Our mother was much loved and very important to our family and the community. She would never have thought of herself, only rescuing her beloved dog. This was a tragic accident and we are all coming to terms with what has happened. We are all devastated.”

Jan Rushton, from St Michael and All Angels Church, added: “We would like to pay tribute to Ann. She did so much for the church and the community, and a lot of he work was carried out behind the scenes.

"Through selling the food she cooked, Ann raised over £1000 for church funds and was willing to help anybody. She will be very deeply missed by us all.”