Tributes paid to bus crash victim

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Tributes have been paid to an "intelligent and beautiful" Chinese student who was killed in a road accident in Lancashire.

Xuan Wei, 21, also known as Cookie, was cycling to the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) in Preston when she was killed in a collision with a bus.

She had been in the UK just over a year studying a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management.

Her family are now travelling to the UK from their home in Jiangxi Province.

The Reverend Geoff Williams, senior pastor at King's Church in Penwortham, Preston, said Cookie had become a committed Christian during her time in the area. We will miss her so much Reverend Geoff Williams

"She was involved in many of the church's activities and through her friendship she helped provide support to many of the Chinese students arriving in the town," he said.

"Last Christmas Cookie had been part of a Chinese choir that sang carols in Mandarin and her lovely smile shone out as she sang.

"Cookie was an intelligent and beautiful young woman, with a wonderfully bubbly personality. She brought joy to all those around her and her Chinese student friends and church family are stunned by her death."

Many Chinese students choose an English name when they study in the UK and Mr Williams said some of her tutors had tried to encourage her to choose a "more normal name".

"But Cookie was Cookie and was determined to keep the name she had chosen and in some ways it was appropriate, as she brought so much fun into whatever situation she found herself and her gentleness and care were obvious to all," he added.

"We will miss her so much."

An investigation is under way and police have appealed for witnesses to the crash on Fylde Road on Thursday to come forward.