A "FUN and hardworking" water dowser died on a diving holiday after going missing in waters off the coast of Scotland.

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

An inquest will be held into the professional water diviner's death next week.

The 64-year-old, of Worcester Road, Malvern, 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 police searched for the missing diver.

Longtime friend and fellow water diviner and archaeological dowser John Baker paid tribute to Linda.

Mr Baker, from Kent, 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 nonstop, 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."

Linda, a mother and grandmother, lived in South Africa for a time and travelled the world scuba diving.

Police Scotland released a statement last year when Linda's 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.