Mary Taylor: Tributes paid to Bradford runner who died in Dubai

Tributes have been paid to a fundraising fancy dress runner following her death in Dubai.

Mary Taylor, 40, was well known in Silsden, near Bradford, for her daily fun runs in the village during the pandemic to cheer up her community.

Her sister, Joanne Edwards, said she was "absolutely shocked and devastated" by Ms Taylor's death in the UAE city, which was "completely out of the blue".

The government said it was assisting the family.

Ms Taylor, who became a local celebrity following her daily fancy dress runs through lockdown, moved in November to Dubai where she worked as a hairdresser and was "loving life over there", said Ms Edwards.

The hairdresser was found dead in her bed by a friend on Friday after the family had asked him to check on her when they "lost contact with her middle of last week", the 42-year-old said.

"There's just no words for how broken we're all feeling at the moment," said Ms Edwards.

"We're still waiting information from the authorities in Dubai.

"We just don't know anything. We're just under impression it's just natural causes."

Ms Edwards paid tribute to a "bubbly" sibling who was "loved to pieces by her community".

"I think for myself, the family and the whole community in Silsden, everybody will just remember her for her bubbliness and crazy antics of running around Silsden every day during lockdown putting smiles on people's faces, cheering everybody up."

She said an online fundraising page set up to "bring Mary home" had received "an absolutely overwhelming response" with more than £11,000 in donations.

Ms Edwards said the family had "so many questions" for the Dubai authorities but believed her sister had been safe in the city.

"She was enjoying hairdressing [in Dubai]. She was running, swimming and just genuinely very happy. From the messages that were coming through between us, she was loving life and thoroughly enjoying it.

"It's very safe and so we have no, absolutely no question over her safety there."

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: "We are providing assistance to the family of a British woman who died in Dubai."

Ms Taylor raised hundreds of pounds for the NHS during the pandemic with her fancy dress runs around her village.

She was later nominated to carry the Queen's baton ahead of the Commonwealth Games last summer.

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