Family Pay Tribute

The family of a woman killed in a car crash on the old A249 at Bobbing have paid tribute to a fantastic mum, daughter, sister and friend.

Claire Mackinnon died on Wednesday afternoon, 30 March 2011, after her Ford Escort was involved in a collision with a Ford Sierra close to the McDonald’s restaurant on Sheppey Way at Bobbing at 4.50pm.

She leaves a three-year-old son Jack, parents Brenda and Richard, sister Kerry and partner Joe Walder.

Mrs Mackinnon said: “It still hasn’t sunk in that Claire is dead and that Jack has lost his mum.

“She had wanted children all her life and was so happy when she fell pregnant with Jack. He was the world to her and she would do absolutely anything for him. She was a fantastic mum and was determined that he never went without.”

Mr Mackinnon said: “Claire was a fun-loving girl who was loved by everyone who knew her and her death is a huge loss to everyone.”

Kerry added: “Claire was an amazing sister who truly was the life and soul of the family and was always there if we needed her.

“She was full of life and had everything to live for. She was a bubbly, lovely person and we were inseparable.”

The family have been overwhelmed by the messages of support and good wishes they have received, dozens of which have been made on social networking websites.

Kerry said: “Claire had a massive network of friends and her best friends, Sean Brown, Claire Mahoney, Anna Hammett and Nicola Hazelwood, will miss her deeply.”

Claire, who celebrated her 28th birthday on 15 March, was born in the old Minster Hospital and went to Minster Primary, Lady Anne Cheyne Middle School and Minster College.

A talented machinist, her first job when she left school was making leather car seats. She also worked for Checkmate in New Road, Sheerness, for about three years and for the last five years had worked in the assembly department at Adam,Rouilly in Sittingbourne, a company that manufactures and supplies medical teaching equipment.

The Castle Road company closed for the day yesterday, Thursday 31 March, as a mark of respect for Claire.

Clive Baker, Adam,Rouilly’s factory manager, described Claire as a much-loved friend and colleague and said the entire workforce had been devastated by her death.

“Claire was very popular and everybody loved her. She was always smiling and chatty and had so much character,” he said.

 “She was hard-working and very capable and everything she did she did very well, but it is as a friend that we will miss her most. We found out she had died yesterday morning and everybody was in total shock. It will take us a long time to get over her death.”

Claire, who lived in Queenborough High Street, had been at work on Wednesday, working extra hours so she could take Jack on a two week holiday to Blackpool with her close friend Sean Brown on Sunday 3 April.

She was on her way home when the collision happened. Senior investigating officer PC Ian Malcolm from Kent Police’s serious collision investigation unit is appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

So are Claire’s family. Mrs Mackinnon said: “Although nothing will bring Claire back it would help if we knew the full circumstances of what happened on Wednesday afternoon.