TRIBUTES were last night paid to an hotel worker described as a “character of Aldeburgh'' after she died following a road accident.

Russell Claydon

TRIBUTES were last night paid to an hotel worker described as a “character of Aldeburgh'' after she died following a road accident.

Carol Ann Myhill, 61, of Aldeburgh, died after she was involved in an accident with a car late on Wednesday night.

Mrs Myhill, who had worked at The Wentworth Hotel for 22 years, is thought to have been pushing her bicycle along the pavement when the accident happened.

James Green, 27, manager of the hotel, said: “She was a long and dedicated servant. She was like a mother figure to the girls here and was much loved by the guests who come back here year after year.

“It will be a shock to many of our regular guests who ask where she is and we will have to inform them of the sudden accident that happened.''

Jane Smith, who works in the Aldeburgh fish and chip shop, described her as “one of the characters of the town''.

“She used to come in here twice a week. She was a lovely lady who would not hurt anybody and would do anything for anyone. Everyone is mourning for her.

“She was a character of Aldeburgh. We saw her everyday walk up and down the road with her bike. She was only in here yesterday.''

Mrs Myhill is believed to have lived with her son, Justin, who is in his 30s, and her elderly mother who was recovering from a stroke.

Neighbour Marynn (crt) Cartwright, 50, of Fairfield Road, said: “She just lived for her grandchildren. She was very family orientated. Everyone knew her. It was a terrible shock when we found out. We got so used to seeing her on her bicycle.''

Mrs Myhill was pushing her bicycle along Victoria Road at just before 11pm on Wednesday when she was involved in an accident with a silver, grey Vauxhall Astra car. She was taken to Ipswich Hospital but died soon afterwards.

Lifeboat crew members told yesterday how they desperately tried to save the cyclist's life.

The town's lifeboat crew had just finished the first session of a first aid course to update their skills when they heard about the accident.

Some of the crew were going along Victoria Road towards their homes after attending the course at the lifeboat station on Crag Path when a car driver shouted that an accident had taken place.

Lee Firman, coxswain at Aldeburgh, said: ''We found the woman not looking too well on the pavement, so three of us carried out cardio pulmonary resuscitation and waited for an ambulance crew to arrive.

''The ambulance crew came and they continued to carry out CPR until she was in the ambulance.

''We were in the right place at the right time but it was a shock and we send our sympathies to her family.''

Mr Firman was accompanied by Steve Saint, the second cox, and Rob Smith, the first aid instructor, in trying to save Mrs Myhill's life.

An ambulance was called to the scene where the woman had suffered serious injuries following the accident.

A spokesman for the East Anglian Ambulance service said: “We arrived at Victoria Road to find a woman in her 60s suffering from serious injuries. The woman went into cardiac arrest and was taken by ambulance to hospital.''

Police officers investigating the collision have questioned a teenager on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The 18-year-old, from Leiston, has been bailed to return to Lowestoft police station on March 24.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen the silver grey Vauxhall Astra being driven in the Victoria Road area to contact them.

Officers say that from initial reports it is possible the car could have been in convoy with other vehicles between Leiston and Aldeburgh.

Anyone who saw the Vauxhall Astra prior to the crash or the collision itself is asked to call Pc Gary Buss at the Serious Collision Investigation Team at police headquarters on 01473 613500.

richard.smith@eadt.co.uk