A community is mourning the death of a hairdresser with a "heart of gold" who had been cutting people's hair for three decades.

Paula Spray, who ran Eyecatchers in Dane Valley Road, Margate, died from cancer in her liver, three years after fighting off a tumour in her eye.

Tragically, the well-known and much-loved 52-year-old was about to become a grandmother for the first time.

Daughter Kristy, who is 20 weeks pregnant, says the close-knit family are devastated and still numb with the shock of losing her.

"In March, the tumour (on her liver) was 2cm and they said with treatment she would have another five years," said Kristy.

"Then all of a sudden her body couldn't handle it, it couldn't take the treatment.

"It was a shock as we didn't expect it to happen so soon.

"She'd started immunotherapy and she wasn't well with it, so she stopped work. But the plan was to keep having treatment until the end of the year, and when she started to feel better she'd come back into work next year.

"I didn't expect her to be gone now. I think I'm still numb. It's horrific."

Paula went into a hospice on Sunday, October 18, and despite the family hoping for her to come home within weeks, she died the next morning.

She had husband of 28 years Mark, Kristy, 29, and son Nathan, 25, by her side.

Paula, who lived in St Peter's, Broadstairs, had the salon for more than 30 years, starting out when she was 19.

"Mum was a big part of the community - everyone knew her," said Kristy.

"Within the first 48 hours after she died I received between 600 and 700 personal messages from people.

"Mum told it how it was and had a heart of gold. She was feisty and loved a laugh.

"She loved making people laugh and messing around.

"My mum would have done anything for anyone, unless you got on the wrong side of her - she wouldn't take any prisoners."

When she became ill the family were unable to keep it private due to so many people asking where she was.

"People were always asking after her," Kristy said.

"Everyone said 'if there's one person who can fight this it's your mum'.

"She had to watch her own mum suffer with dementia and she said to me she wouldn't go like that.

"She said 'when it's my time to go, I'll go - once I'm done, I'm done'.

"She was fighting but found it so hard and she said 'I can't do this any more' - then she was gone.

"People have said to me that she made the decision.

"She didn't want me and my brother to see how she lost her mum."

But Kristy says Paula would have wanted them to get back up and "crack on" with the business.

"She wasn't just my mum she was my business partner, too.

"My mum brought me up in the salon and the ladies saw me grow.

"I'll have my baby and go back to work - it'll be history repeating itself.

"Mum fell pregnant just as she lost her dad so it will be the same, just 30 years later."

The funeral is being held next Tuesday, but due to Covid, numbers will be limited.

"She would have loved a party," said Kristy.

"She loved to have a dance and a drink so when the time is right we'll do something big for her."

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