THE FAMILY of a beloved grandmother who died in a lift accident earlier this year are preparing themselves for their first Christmas without her.

Grandmother-of-six Christine Allen, was crushed to death by a faulty elevator on the Orchard Estate in Woodford Green in August during a visit to her daughter Laura Dawkins.

Her grief-stricken family has been waiting since then to hear the results of a Health and Safety Executive investigation into her death.

Ms Dawkins, who has since moved off the estate with her three young children to a new home in Chigwell - said her mother was the life and soul of the party.

She said: "I will miss all her silly ways. We all used to go to her's at Christmas, and we'd dance and sing and have a laugh.

"It will be really strange not having her around. My children have been asking me whether nanny is going to be there at Christmas.

"My stepdad Robert is going to come round here for Christmas. He's been hit very hard by what's happened."

Ms Dawkins said she had barely been able to afford presents for her children this year because of the legal costs she faced since her mother's death.

She said: "I have spent so much on solicitors. They're probably only going to get one present each.

"My mum always used to buy everyone lots of presents.

"It just won't be the same without her. She will definitely be really missed."

The HSE investigation into Mrs Allen's death is ongoing.