A WOMAN who was awarded the MBE for her dedicated political died aged at 87 on Boxing Day.

Audrey North was awarded an MBE in 1988 for her outstanding service as a constituency secretary for the Conservative party in Havering, Essex.

After the news of her death, Prime Minister Theresa May sent a letter of condolence to the family.

The letter read: “Audrey was a great servant of the Conservative party for many years, and contributed a huge amount not only to the success of our party, but also to the political system as a whole, something for which she was rightly awarded an MBE.

“I was grateful for the support that she provided to me as a candidate in the Barking by-election in 1994. That experience, and the support I received from her and other party members, encouraged me greatly in my own political journey.”

Audrey lived in Brighton after her retirement. She was born on February 13, 1931 in Dulwich and was brought up in Grays. Audrey attended Grays Convent School and then Pitman’s College in London.

In 1945 she joined the Junior Women’s Royal Naval Service and the Grays and Thurrock Young Conservatives. When Audrey was 16, she met her husband, William, who was 19, at a dance in Purfleet.

The couple got married in Grays Parish Church on June 24, 1950. The time of the ceremony, which was carefully chosen, was midday on midsummer’s day in the middle of the 20th century.

William worked for the Ford motor company while she worked as secretary to the director of purchasing at May and Baker, a chemical company, and as secretary to the senior quantity surveyor during the building of the Aveley housing estate in Essex.

Audrey stopped work to have two sons, Bill and Robin.

When the boys got a bit older Audrey joined the Rainham Branch of the Conservative party. Her work as a volunteer led, in 1964, to an offer of paid employment and with the support and encouragement of her husband she began part-time work for the party, leading to a full-time position as secretary and agent.

She also worked with Robin Squire, who was MP for Hornchurch from 1979 until 1997.

Audrey always believed in keeping busy.

She was the chairwoman of governors of Weybridge Junior and Infants Schools in Rainham, a role she held for almost 20 years. She also had a range of hobbies including target shooting for which she won several trophies.

Audrey played badminton, took up Tai Chi and held a yellow belt in Judo.

She retired in January 1993 and in March 2000 she was made Life Vice-President of Upminster and Hornchurch Conservative Associations.