Covid: Tutor died after concerns raised at Burnley College

Donna Coleman was "scared" to go to work but wanted to help her students, her sister said

A college union has said it is "angry and devastated" that a tutor died with coronavirus after it raised health and safety concerns about her workplace.

Donna Coleman, 42, who worked with vulnerable students at Burnley College, died last month.

The University and College Union (UCU) said it had previously rejected the college's risk assessments because it had "poor Covid controls".

The BBC has approached Burnley College for comment.

Ms Coleman tested positive for coronavirus shortly before Christmas and died on 6 January.

Stephanie Coleman said her sister was fearful of returning to work in September.

She said Ms Coleman "was scared but she wanted to go in and be with the students and do her job".

Paying tribute to her sister, Stephanie said she was "amazing" and had a "real cheeky side" to her and "lived for her family and friends".

"She was fun, she would get up on karaoke and thought she was Whitney. She had the biggest smile, bright pink lipstick and she gave the best hugs ever," she said.

Donna Coleman died in January after testing positive for Covid in December

UCU said it was investigating the circumstances leading up to Ms Coleman's death and whether she contracted Covid through her work at the college.

Regional official Martyn Moss said her death was an "appalling tragedy".

He said the college was refusing to disclose "whether it knows if it had any Covid outbreaks".

Mr Moss said the UCU had "raised our health and safety concerns with the college and with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)".

The HSE said it had "been working with the college regarding Covid measures on campus and safety with regard to events such as open evenings".

"We will now be liaising further with the college in relation to this fatality and will make further inquiries," a spokesman said.

Ms Coleman's sister said it made her angry when people "walk around with their masks half way down their faces" because she did not want others to go through what her family had.

"It breaks my heart, there is a void there," she said.