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Tributes are pouring in after the death of a well-known journalist and firefighter from Lancashire.
Firefighter and ex-BBC North West presenter, Beccy Barr, has passed away at the age of 46.
Her sister announced the news yesterday on Beccy’s Twitter, saying she spent her last few days at St John’s Hospice and passed peacefully.
The mother-of-one was diagnosed with an incurable abdominal cancer in 2023.
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Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Wyre, said: “I’m so sorry to hear this, my heart aches for all those who mourn her. She made the world a better place because of everything she did with an enthusiasm that few could match. RIP Beccy. So much love to her family right now. X”
Justin Johnson, chief fire officer for Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Incredibly sad to learn that Beccy has passed away. An incredible woman who did so much good as a firefighter. She’ll be missed by us all and my thoughts are with her loving family, friends and work colleagues at this difficult time.”
Beccy was a presenter and journalist for BBC North West from 2013 until 2019, when she left her longstanding role to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a firefighter for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Her former North West Tonight colleague, Annabel Tiffin, described her as “a feisty, fearless woman”.
Maya Ellis, the new MP for the Ribble Valley, said: “What a wonderful human she was, a constant advocate for girls and young women and such a brave role model for starting over when your dreams change.
“She crammed so much in. What a loss to this world, and so grateful to have known her. Sending so much love to you all.”
Helen Pidd, of The Guardian, said: “RIP a true Northern Powerhouse. Beccy Barr, what a woman. Fantastic journalist who left TV to be a firefighter in her 40s. Strong, funny, clever, generous, fearless. Much love to her family and friends. Life can be so very unfair.”
Her sister included in the announcement that donations can be made to the hospice in Beccy’s memory. If you’d like to make a donation, visit https://www.sjhospice.org.uk/donate/.
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