A water diviner known for demonstrations of her skills in Herefordshire has died.

She was on a scuba diving holiday when she went missing in Scottish waters.

Linda Fentum, also known as Linda Prenter, was described by friends as a hard-working woman who was great fun when she was off duty.

An inquest will be held into her death next week.

Ms Fentum, 64, was reported missing on Thursday, July 1, last year after diving off the coast of Sutherland near Kinlochbervie.

She never resurfaced and her body was later recovered after a police search.

Long-time friend John Baker, from Kent, a fellow water diviner and archaeological dowser, paid tribute.

He said: "She is greatly missed by myself and everyone she came into contact with.

"It's a terrible, terrible loss.

"When she was off duty she was great fun, and when she was on duty she worked like a trooper."

The pair both joined the British Society of Dowsers in about 1996 and first met a few years later.

"She was a very, very quiet person but in her profession, she was very thorough.

"Over the years she started getting into water divining and so did I, and we would talk to each other more often.

"She was very good at what she was doing and had clientele from all over the West Midlands and east Wales.

"She would just be working from the moment she got up to the time she fell into bed.

"Linda was non-stop; on the go all of the time.

"At the events, they would have dancing or ceilidhs and she would throw herself into them.

"She was great fun. Linda worked hard and she played hard.

"She was one of the best water diviners, and there is a huge hole missing in the world of water divining."

Ms Fentum was a guest of South Hereforddshire Dowsers in 2018.

She described her work finding the best borehole sites for farmers and householders who need a suitably pure water supply for livestock or domestic use.

She also appeared at the Hellens Manor Garden festival at Much Marcle, where she joined other dowsers from Herefordshire in showing amazed members of the public that they too could dowse, and not only find water in their gardens for irrigation but also identify the most harmonious position to sit and how to find mislaid garden tools!

Ms Fentum, a mother and grandmother, of Worcester Road, Malvern, lived in South Africa for a time and travelled the world scuba diving.

Police Scotland released a statement last year when her body was discovered after an emergency search.

“Following searches off the coast of Sutherland near Kinlochbervie, a body has been recovered this afternoon which is believed to be of a diver reported missing on Thursday, 1 July.

"The diver’s next of kin have been made aware and are being supported by officers."

The inquest will take place at Redditch Registration Office on Monday, January 24.