Friends have paid tribute to a well known Carshalton woman who died after being hit by a car.

Hazel Elphick, who was described as a "great local character", died after being hit in the high street at about 7pm on Sunday, March 23.

Mrs Elphick, from Hollymead, was rushed to St Helier Hospital with serious injuries but died two hours later.

A well-known face in Carshalton Village, residents and traders said the 80-year-old would be greatly missed.

She was also a keen supporter of the arts and had been a teacher in Banstead and Sutton.

"Hazel was one of the characters of Carshalton Village," said Dan Stanzl, owner of homeopathic store Naturally Thinking. "She had time for anyone who would stop to talk and always had an opinion to give."

Fellow trader Tom Brooks, from Harry Brooks coffee shop, said: "Over the past year the sound of her stick on the ground became a familiar one and you could set your watch by her arrival.

"If you did miss the stick, however, you could always catch the sccent of her perfume.

"Carshalton will most likely never have a character quite like Hazel and the place will be a duller one for it."

A postmortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple injuries. She was struck by a black VW Golf after stepping into the road from behind a bus.

The car - driven by a man aged 27 - stopped at the scene. No one was arrested.

Hazel is survived by two brothers and a sister, Raymond, Kenneth and Audery.

A funeral is due to be held on Tuesday, April 15, at 12.30pm at Randalls Park Crematorium, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, to which her many friends are invited.

Family requested no flowers, but asked that donations be made to the British Heart Foundation in London and the Royal Marsden in Sutton.

A small private family gathering will be held after the service.

Witnesses should contact the police's collision investigation unit on 020 8941 9011.