The grieving daughter of an Ipswich woman whose body was found floating off the Suffolk coast today described her as a happy and carefree person.

IPSWICH: The grieving daughter of an Ipswich woman whose body was found floating off the Suffolk coast today described her as a happy and carefree person.

Clare Cornish, 40, was called to formally identify her mother, Linda Laframboise, 59, of Eagle Street, after her body was recovered on Tuesday.

Mrs Cornish, of Kerry Avenue, Ipswich, said: “I am still in shock but I am trying to remember all the good things.

“She was a very strong and independent lady.

“She was beautiful inside and out.”

Mystery surrounds the grandmother's death after her body was spotted by men onboard a pilot ship anchored off the coast at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex at around 8.15am.

Onlookers watched from Felixstowe beach as her body was pulled from the water.

An inquest has yet to be opened into Mrs Laframboise's death and Essex Coroner's Office have still to formally confirm her identity or if a post mortem has been performed.

The death is not being treated as suspicious.

Mrs Cornish was called by police on Wednesday morning to identify the body after they found Mrs Laframboise's empty handbag on Felixstowe beach.

She said her mother seemed very happy when the pair met to celebrate her birthday in September.

“It is awful,” she said. “It is like a puzzle with all the pieces missing.

“We don't know what happened at the moment but time will tell.”

A mother-of two, Mrs Laframboise was born in Ipswich and attended Westbourne High School.

A ballet fan, she loved watching performances at the Regal Theatre in Ipswich and enjoyed reading.

Mrs Cornish said: “She was a lovely lady. She used to make me laugh.

“She loved life and her family and grandchildren.”

Pay tribute to Mrs Laframboise - write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk