HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to an 'inspirational' mum who died in Australia last month.

Mum-of-three Sandra Tunstall, aged 51, died on May 2, having been diagnosed with terminal cancer in September 2015.

The Radcliffe Times reported in December that her partner, David Roberts, had launched a fundraising campaign to try and bring her back to England for her last Christmas, but she was forced to stay down under after advice from doctors.

The couple had emigrated from Ainsworth to Melbourne in October 2011 to start their dream life, and David returned to their hometown this week for a memorial service held at Ainsworth Parish Church on Saturday.

The 45-year-old, who met Sandra when they were neighbours in Edgworth Avenue, said: "She was the most bubbly person and had the biggest smile ever. Whenever she met anyone, she made an impression straight away and it was like she had known them for years.

"She lived her life to the full and was a real inspiration. She was the best person you could ever meet.

"When she was first diagnosed she was angry that she was going to lose so many years of her life, but further down the line she said that she had enjoyed a really good life and had done so many things that most people could only dream of."

Sandra was admitted to hospital the day before David's birthday on September 9 and underwent an operation five days later, which confirmed she had stage four aggressive brain cancer.

She had three sons – Ashley, Scott, and Alex – and had previously worked at the Bury Hospice shop in Ramsbottom and for the St John Ambulance in Stockport.

After scattering her ashes, David is planning to return to Australia to carry on with the life they had started.

He added: "I have kept my promise to her that I would bring her ashes back to England once she had gone.

"I will scatter them and then go back to Australia to carry on with the dream that we had out there.

"I wanted to give her friends and family over here a chance to get together and have a proper service to put her at rest.

"I told the story of how we met and how we finally took the opportunity to go out to Australia.

"We went to the Old White Horse afterwards, where they put some food out for us, and told stories about Sandra.

"There are a lot of people who loved her and wanted to say goodbye."