Anita Roddick dies of brain haemorrhage

Body Shop founder Dame Anita Roddick dies of brain haemorrhage aged 64

Dame Anita Roddick has died of 'a major brain haemorrhage' at the age of 64.

The founder of ethical cosmetics firm The Body Shop passed away at 18.30 yesterday at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex. Her husband Gordon and daughters Sam and Justine were all with her.

She had been taken to hospital on Sunday evening after she collapsed complaining of a headache.

Dame Anita was pioneering ethically-sourced, cruelty-free products years before it became the on-trend thing to do. She set up the first Body Shop in Brighton in 1976.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to Dame Anita call her 'one of the country's true pioneers' and an 'inspiration' to businesswomen.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: 'She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so and inspired millions to the cause by bringing sustainable products to a mass market.

'She will be remembered not only as a great campaigner but also as a great entrepreneur.'

And John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, added: 'She was an amazing inspiration to those around her.

'She was so ahead of her time when it came to issues of how business could be done...When you look at it today, and how every company claims to be green, she was living this decades ago.'

Dame Anita also set up HIV and Aids charity Body and Soul, was a key part of Amnesty International, and had just signed up to be the chairwoman of anti-death penalty organisation Reprieve.