A casualty nurse died in hospital seven days after giving birth to her second child, despite colleagues' efforts to save her.

Louise Johnson, 33, from Goring-by-Sea, died in the accident and emergency department at Worthing Hospital on Friday, February 2.

Her husband of seven years, Ollie, was said to be "completely devastated by her untimely death" and was too upset to speak to The Argus.

A family friend said: "Louise was a kind, generous, caring person. She was exactly the same at work with her colleagues and patients as she was with friends and family."

Mrs Johnson had lived in the Worthing area most of her life. She was a pupil at Boundstone Community College in Lancing, where she took her A-levels.

After graduating from Bloomsbury Nursing College in 1996, she lived and worked in London for two years before travelling around South East Asia and Australia, where she worked as a nurse in the Outback.

On her return she went to work at Worthing Hospital. Colleagues described her as "a bright and inspiring" woman.

Worthing Hospital's chief executive Stephen Cass said: "Louise's caring professionalism will be greatly missed throughout the trust and particularly in the accident and emergency department.

"Her colleagues remember her for the positive impact she had on their lives and the lives of the many patients she cared for."

Mrs Johnson's death is being investigated by Worthing and Southlands NHS Trust.