Hereford'S new-look Woolworths store has been dedicated to one of its longest serving staff members - who died the day before it was due to open.

Sandra Winney had worked at the Eign Gate store for 33 years, starting as a 16-year-old Saturday girl and rising to assistant manager.

She was battling hard to beat her cancer - confirmed in June - to make the opening on Tuesday.

Doctors told Sandra she had a good chance of getting the cancer into remission, but an associated illness saw her condition worsen.

Sandra died at St Michael's Hospice on Monday. She was 48.

By her side at the end were her brother Rod and her best friend Carol Saunders, with whom she started at Woolworths all those years ago.

The opening of the store went ahead as planned the next day and was dedicated to Sandra in a special toast.

Many of the store's staff are expected to attend her funeral at St Martin's Church, Hereford, next Wednesday (August 17).

To them, Sandra was the one with "all the answers" - from stock queries to price inquiries.

But she never forgot her "Saturday girl" start being always ready as a role model for younger staff.

And to the long servers like her, Sandra was still an inspiration. They called her "Chop, Chop" after her shop floor catchphrase intended to urge everyone on and get things done.

Friend and colleague Marilyn Beattie said Sandra was so looking forward to being part of the new-look store.

"We all knew she could have gone away to be a store manager. But she didn't want to leave Hereford," said Marilyn.

Throughout the city, Sandra - who grew up in Redhill and lived in Putson, sharing her house with three cats she doted on - is spoken of as someone everyone seemed to know, with a wide circle of friends and active social life.

Race for Life had been a big date in her diary for the past two years. She was due to run in this year's event but didn't feel fit enough.

When the "aches and pains" she had suffered since the start of the year were confirmed as cancer, Sandra's sole focus was on getting as well as she could, taking every precaution to ensure her weakened immune system was not tested.

But just two months into her treatment she picked up a bug that the drugs could do little for. The damage the bug did was so extensive and so sudden that any real chance of recovery was soon ruled out.

Sandra's brother Rod said two months was too soon to lose someone like her. But those close to Sandra knew how ill she was and how hard she was struggling.

"In the end she went peacefully, she was due that," he said.