Nan found in woods after flight had 'heart of gold'

The nan was reported missing after last being seen at Manchester Airport

Nan found dead in woods after landing at Manchester Airport had 'heart of gold'

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A nan who was found dead in the woods beside the M56 was "always smiling" and had a "heart of gold".

Lillian Ferguson, 71, who had been visiting one of her daughters for Christmas in County Cork, Ireland, returned to Manchester on New Year's Eve. She was thought to have been "trying to get home" on foot in the early hours of January 1 when she went missing.

Instead of getting the tram back to her home, just a mile away in Wythenshawe, Lillian ended up walking onto the M56 slip road at junction 5 before she was found dead by police in a "dangerous" wooded area. Her family believe she became confused and got lost as she tried to walk back, MEN reports.

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Tributes to Lillian have continued to flood in on social media after her death, with her granddaughter Millie Ferguson penning: "She was a truly amazing lady and deserves every bit of this recognition. Love you Nan. She always helped any single person she could. Heart of gold."

Also paying tribute, Eloise Sandham posted: "A heart of gold she had, don’t think I've ever seen her without a smile on her face and a hello" as Emma Maguire wrote: "The most amazing beautiful women I ever met .. our Lillian. So devastated, loved her so much."

The grandmother to 25 and mum-of-five had been reported as missing in the early hours of January 1, with police appeals released to trace her. She had last been seen leaving the airport and walking in the direction of the motorway minutes after midnight.

Lillian was then found dead in the early hours of last Tuesday morning (January 2) by police searching for her, in a "dangerous" wooded area beside the M56 slip road, near to Thorley Lane.

Lillian's daughter Suzanne, 40, also from Wythenshawe, said her mum was an "inspiration" and the "heart and soul" of the family.

She said: "She was a mother to everyone. She was the heart and soul of our family who kept us all together. She has 25 grandchildren and always had time for all of them, she was amazing. She was inspirational."

The family still do not know why Lillian took a different and unfamiliar route that night - but they currently suspect her epilepsy, which sometimes caused her to have memory lapses, may have meant she became confused due to the lights from cars or fireworks to mark the new year.

Suzanne said: "My mum has walked back from that airport so many times because we live minutes away. I think she must have thought the trams weren't running with it being New Year's Eve.

"She must have taken a wrong turning, if she had carried on forward down the road, she would have been to the Etrop Grange Hotel, but she has turned left and come onto the slip road onto the motorway at junction five.

"She was found in a dangerous wooded area to the side of the motorway. She had scrambled through trees and ended up at high fence where there was a secure car park. That's where she was found.

"We were all so confused because she's never taken that route before. We still can't understand how or why she got onto the motorway. We were out searching those areas, but we would have never found her in that area. We know she was definitely trying to get back home."

An inquest into Lillian's death is expected to open at a later date. A fundraiser has also been set up to give her 'a beautiful send off'. Donations can be made here.

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