A COURAGEOUS woman who overcame personal tragedy to become a respected campaigner for the disabled has died.

Valerie Storie, 77, was a lifelong Slough resident. She and her friend physicist Michael John Gregsten were targeted by a man with a gun while their car was parked on Dorney Common. Mr Gregsten was later shot and killed but Miss Storie survived, despite being shot five times herself - and condemned to life in a wheelchair at the age of 22.

But it was for her work as director and company secretary of the Slough Community Transport Service that she was remembered this week, by the charity's former chief officer Wendy Field.

Miss Storie retired on medical grounds from her job as a government scientist in November 1983.

Mrs Field said: "Valerie's scientific knowledge was a valuable asset. Being disabled herself she understood what was needed of our buses, having used them herself since she was unable to drive herself any more.

"She took on the council over the needs of disabled people, it was her great passion in life."

On one occasion Miss Storie attended a council meeting, calling for a number of improvements in services for the disabled.

When the organisation acquired a new bus in 2014 it was named Valerie.

Margaret Lenton, former headteacher at Slough Grammar School, knew Miss Storey through the school's Old Paludians Association. Miss Storie attended when it was Slough High School.

Mrs Lenton said: "She used to all our newsletters and regularly attended events. She was an intelligent woman and we appreciated all she did."

She revealed that Miss Storie was very aware of campaigns to clear the name of the man hanged for his attack on her and Mr Gregsten, saying: "She talked about it once or twice. She was very bitter about Paul Foot [the journalist who campaigned to prove she had wrongly identified him}.

"She told me 'I was there. I would not have made that sort of mistake'. She was so pleased when DNA evidence finally proved her right."

Mrs Lenton remembered her friend commenting ironically about her affair with Mr Gregsten, saying: "She told me 'I paid a bitter price for what I did'."

The funeral is on Tuesday, at Slough Crematorium at 2.30pm.