A WOMAN who died after being hit by a rubbish lorry in Worcester city centre has been named.

Sylvia Russell, aged 69, of Dent Close, Worcester, died on Monday after she was crushed by a truck owned by Smith’s Waste Management of Gloucester in the Shambles.

Since her death, floral tributes to Miss Russell have been placed outside Argos near the spot where the accident happened.

Miss Russell’s name will be familiar to readers of the Worcester News as she was a keen writer of letters to this newspaper.

She wrote to the paper about subjects she felt strongly about, such as supporting the elderly and controversial government issues.

Another letter writer, Len Presley, who lives in Bransford, got in touch with the Worcester News to tell of his sadness at Miss Russell’s death.

“(Sylvia) was a close and dear friend of mine,” he wrote.

“This, as anyone can imagine, came as a great shock. Sylvia and I met up every Wednesday for breakfast in Poppins, then for a pint in the Horn and Trumpet. Her health wasn’t 100 per cent but she still managed to get around.

“This has left me empty and saddened.”

Following the incident, which happened at around 9.15am, several witnesses were treated at the scene for shock.

Speaking the day after Miss Russell’s death, Duncan Squires, of Angel Flowers, based outside Nationwide, High Street, said he had sold a couple of bouquets to people planning to lay them as a mark of respect.

“I’ve had a couple of customers who said they were they were going to take flowers down today.

“I have a feeling they just wanted to leave them as a mark of respect after what has happened rather than that they knew her,” he said.

“I think what happened has affected a lot of people.”

The driver has been released on bail after he was arrested at the scene on Monday morning on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

A police spokeswoman said arrests were often the procedure following fatal road traffic collisions.

If any of Miss Russell’s family or friends saw her on the morning of the incident contact police on 101, quoting incident number 133 of 29th September.