Tributes have been paid to a former Cumbria County Council education chief who has died suddenly at the age of 53.

Caroline Sutton, who was known as Carrie, was taken critically ill on Friday and is understood to have suffered a number of strokes after being rushed to hospital.

She had moved to Oldham after taking voluntary redundancy from her role with Cumbria County Council, where she spent five years working as the authority's assistant director of schools and learning.

After leaving Cumbria, she joined the senior leadership team at Oldham Council where she was said to have cultivated a "fantastic" relationship with colleagues and councillors. She was described as a "passionate and formidable public servant".

Commenting today, John Macilwraith, Corporate Director for Children and Family Services at the County Council, said: “We are saddened by news of her sudden death and our sympathies go to her family.

"Caroline was a dedicated public servant whose energies were always focused on achieving the best educational outcomes for children.

She made many friends in Cumbria whilst she worked here and she has left a lasting legacy in many of the initiatives she took in moving education forward in the County.”

In Cumbria, Ms Sutton played a key role in shaping the county's secondary education.

The news of her death was broken in a poignant email sent out to all staff at Oldham Council by the authority's chief executive Carolyn Wilkins.

The message read: “It is with deep sadness and regret that I write to you this morning to inform you of the passing of Carrie Sutton.

“She will be deeply missed as a colleague and a friend.”