A PENSIONER who died in a fire at her home never had a cross word to say about anyone, her daughter said yesterday.

Janet Palfreman, 62, died in Downlands Gardens, Broadwater, Worthing, early on Tuesday while asleep in a downstairs back room.

Her daughter Julie Palfreman, 37, said her brother Gary, 39, had also been asleep in the house when he was woken by a fire alarm at 2.30am.

He called the emergency services but Mrs Palfreman was dead when ambulance crews arrived at the scene.

Mrs Palfreman was well known in Worthing and had worked at the town centre post office for 14 years until her retirement in April 2004.

She had suffered from the lung condition emphysema for about six years.

Her daughter said: "Mum was very bossy but you always knew where you were with her.

"She was well known for knitting toys. She worked behind the counter at the post office where people would go to collect their parcels and she had a display of them there.

"People would offer to pay for wool and ask her to knit them something but she wouldn't as she could never give them away. She also used to buy sweets for the children and put them on the counter."

Julie said that as her mother's illness took its toll, she spent time at both Eastbrook ward at Worthing Hospital and at Worthing's St Barnabas Hospice.

She went on: "Her idea of going on holiday was going to Eastbrook ward. The nurses from Guild Care and the nurses from St Barnabas made my mum's life so much easier. They used to go out of their way and do lots for her.

"She was loved by so many people and friends would come up and she would still be laughing and joking. She is a huge loss."

Mrs Palfreman had three children, Julie, Gary and David.

Julie said her mother's knitted toys will be donated to St Barnabas and the family has asked that all donations are sent to the hospice.

For funeral details, email julie.palfreman@thebodyshop.com