Tanning salon death: Husband's tribute after wife found dead

South Wales Police were called to Lextan on Saturday

The family of a 30-year-old woman found dead in a tanning salon are raising money to return her body to her New Zealand homeland.

Piata Tauwhare died in Lextan in Swansea, after booking an appointment for an 11-minute session on Saturday.

The alarm was raised when her worried husband Ifan Jones, 23, could not contact her after the visit.

Lextan has offered condolences to her family and friends and said it is co-operating with a police investigation.

Her body was discovered on the ground in a vertical tanning booth at the business, in Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach,

'Compassionate, selfless'

Mr Jones called his mum Emma Collyer-Miles, 42, who then went to Lextan to find Piata.

He paid tribute to his "compassionate, selfless" mental health worker wife.

He said: "Anyone who has ever had the pleasure to grace the presence of Piata Tauwhare will know that she was one of the kindest and purest souls they have ever and will ever remember.

• Tanning salon death: Woman in her 30s dies in Swansea

"Her gleaming smile, eternally set on her sun-kissed face, will live happily in our hearts forever.

"Even when she didn't understand a word our weird Welsh accents were saying, her teeth still glistened courteously and reassuringly to make us feel heard.

"That was her in a nutshell, a compassionate, selfless woman, putting others first, even when she couldn't understand a bloody word we were saying.

"Pi was the most caring, special daughter, sister, cousin, friend and wife."

'Angel to us all'

The couple married in September before settling in Swansea.

Her mother-in-law Ms Collyer-Miles said Piata was "an angel to us all" and said her death will "stay with me forever."

Family and friends have now raised over £5,500 to get Piata back to New Zealand.

Lextan said: "We give our condolences to the deceased's family and friends, and we have also offered counselling to any affected staff.

"We are co-operating with the investigation into this case by South Wales Police and any further inquiries should be made to them."

Police were called to the salon at 16:05 BST by paramedics.

Piata was pronounced dead the same day.

Det Insp Gareth Jones of South Wales Police said: "There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death."