THE family of a popular fitness instructor stabbed to death on her doorstep are today saying a final farewell to their “Irish rose”.

Laurence Cawley

THE family of a popular fitness instructor stabbed to death on her doorstep are today saying a final farewell to their “Irish rose”.

Mum-of-three Mary Griffiths was found fighting for life from a stab wound at her house in Bullrush Crescent, Bury St Edmunds, during the early hours of May 6.

Ms Griffiths, who worked as a fitness instructor in Newmarket, Bury and Stowmarket, died later that morning at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury of a deep chest wound.

This morning her family joined dozens of mourners, including children from the schools attended by her daughters, at St Edmunds the Martyr Catholic Church in Westgate Street, Bury.

More than a dozen police officers and a number of police vehicles were in area to seal off Westgate Street to traffic while the funeral cortege made its way down to the church.

Relatives of Ms Griffiths clutched service sheets bearing her image as their shared emotional embraces with one another prior to entering the church.

Among the floral tributes to Ms Griffiths was one left by her three daughters which read simply “Mum”.

In messages left by her siblings, one said: “Thank you for being such a wonderful sister. Will miss u so much. Love always.”

A second, which referred to Ms Griffiths as an “Irish rose in our English country garden”, read: “We will miss you so much. Life will never be the same again. Rest in peace.”

The service will be followed by cremation at Risby crematorium.

An inquest into Ms Griffiths' death has been opened and adjourned by the Greater Suffolk Coroner.

A 40-year-old man was arrested by police in Bockhill Road, Bury, on suspicion of murder but has since been released into the care of Suffolk Mental Health Partnership Trust after he was deemed unfit to be questioned.