THE funeral of a Hampshire woman killed in a horror crash in the Caribbean will take place today.

Kate Clayton died in Southampton General Hospital from severe injuries sustained in a car crash in the Cayman Islands.

Her death came just a week after the 30-year-old was flown home to Southampton following the smash which left her fighting for life.

Friends and family had received an overwhelming response from an appeal to raise £100,000 to fly her home and for continued care.

Now they will remember her the diving instructor's life at her funeral at West Vale Crematorium.

Today relatives made an emotional tribute to everyone who supported their campaign and to the doctors and nurses both at here and on the islands who cared for her.

Kate, from Hedge End, died at the Neurological ICU in Southampton General Hospital on Wednesday last week.

Her mum Jo and uncle Neil were at her bedside and other family members saying their final goodbyes.

In a statement posted on their Help Kate Get Home appeal website they wrote: “We would also like to thank everyone for their love, kind words, donations, prayers and support over the past few weeks. Without this our journey would have been so much harder.”

They continued: “We would like to thank all the staff at the Neurological ICU for the compassion and care they showed Kate and our family during the traumatic time. The time our family spent on the unit was obviously difficult, but made so much easier by the care and professionalism of all the staff on the unit. “They spent so much time carefully explaining everything, that we all felt involved in the care Kate was receiving.

“The service at this unit is exemplary and should be used as a shining light of service that the NHS can provide. We cannot shout loudly enough in our thanks and praise to all the staff on this unit and we will always be grateful for the dedicated work they did and continue to do.”

As previously reported, the former Wildern School pupil was left in a critical condition when her Jeep Wrangler careered off the road and smashed into a tree in Grand Cayman on January 11.

The crash on Old Robin Road left her with a catalogue of horrific injuries which have left her paralysed from the chest down and with possible spinal injuries.

Kate had moved to the island in December 2013 to follow her dream of training as a dive master helping people to explore in the Caribbean Sea.

The funeral takes place at 10am at the cemetery in Bubb Lane, West End.

It will be followed by a wake at Hedge End Club in Bursledon Road, Hedge End.

Donations in lieu of flowers to be made to Kate Fighting Fund.

It will be used to set up a charity in her name so others can benefit from her life.