A former Express & Star head librarian who worked for the newspaper for more than 25 years has died aged 80 after suffering a stroke.

Iris Grainger, who started as a trainee in 1962 and worked her way up to head librarian, received an award in 1987 for her years of service at the paper. She retired in 1988 aged 60.

Friends of Miss Grainger paid tribute to her today, saying she loved her job and had a great sense of humour.

Life-long friend Pat Simmons, who grew up with Miss Grainger, said: “Our grandmothers were friends, and also our mothers, so we grew up together.”

Mrs Simmons, of Stretton near Brewood, added: “Her job was her life, and she loved it.”

Mrs Simmons’s husband John also paid tribute to a “good friend”. He said: “Her main hobby was her job.”

John Ogden, who worked with Miss Grainger during her time at the Express & Star, said: “She was very good at her job and very efficient.”

Miss Grainger, who never married or had any children, was born in Wolverhampton and went to Wolverhampton Municipal Grammar School.

She then went to Loughborough College to study librarianship and later worked for Stafford County Library, where she provided books for 600 schools throughout the county.

When she retired from the E&S, she was given a framed mock front page of the paper which was displayed at her funeral on Monday at Bushbury Crematorium.

Miss Grainger, who had Parkinson’s Disease and osteoporosis, died on July 8. She lived at Springfield House, Codsall, for the last three years of her life.