An inquest will be held to determine whether a beloved Biddulph councillor's death was a suicide, a coroner's court heard today.

North Staffordshire Coroner's Court, sitting in Stoke-on-Trent today (Monday 27th June) opened an inquest into the death of Cllr Hilda Sheldon MBE, who died at Knypersley Reservoir on Wednesday 8th June.

Opening the inquest, assistant coroner Duncan Ritchie noted that Cllr Sheldon was born on 3rd October 1941 and lived at Keepers Cottage at Greenway Bank in Biddulph.

He explained that the cause of death being investigated is suicide by drowning.

The inquest opener was then adjourned. A full inquest is now expected to take place in around three months' time.

Biddulph town councillor and Biddulph In Bloom volunteering hero Hilda Sheldon passed away at Knypersley Reservoir after emergency services were called to reports of a woman in the water.

She co-ordinated the town's In Bloom efforts over almost 30 years and was awarded an MBE for her dedication to the town.

Following her death hundreds of residents paid their tributes, describing her as "selfless and irreplaceable".

A section of a recent Staffordshire Moorlands District Council meeting was also dedicated to Cllr Sheldon, with a minute's silence being held before councillors shared their memories of her.