FORMER colleagues have paid tribute to a veteran doctor killed in a crash with a police car last month.

Gwyneth De Camps, 88, professionally known as Dr Gwyneth Botherway, died with friend Pamela Valley, 87, when their Nissan Micra collided with a police dog vehicle near Calcot Park Golf Course on January 23. Mrs Valley, of Crown Lane, Burnham, died at the scene while Dr Botherway, of Farnham Lane, Farnham Royal, died at Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Their inquests, which opened at Reading Town Hall on Monday, heard that they had both died from blunt force to their chests in the impact.

Dr Botherway was the doctor for Slough’s Marks and Spencer store in High Street for several years during the 80s. The store, now closed, used to have a visiting doctor onsite.

Debbie L’angellier, 59, who worked there from 1985 to 2010, said Dr Botherway’s death had saddened herself and former colleagues who gathered together monthly at the M&S Sparks social club for retired workers from Winsdor, Maidenhead and Slough. She said: “She was such a lovely lady and she did lots for us whenever we had a problem. She would look into it for us, get us an appointment or prescription, nothing was ever too much.”

Mrs L’angellier, of Warren Field, Iver Heath, added: “We had our meeting on Monday and all the girls were saying what a lovely lady she was and that we would like to go as a unit to the funeral to pay our respects.”

The crash happened shortly before 4pm, when the unmarked 4x4 police vehicle was responding to an incident. Coroner Peter Bedford said a preliminary hearing would precede the full inquest at a date to be confirmed.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating.

Dr Botherway’s funeral is at 12.30pm on Friday, March 2 at Slough Crematorium and the family has requested donations to charity.