THE family of a radio presenter who died after being hit by a train between Swindon and Oxford have spoken of their heartbreak.

Journalist Kelly Jobanputra, 40, from Priory Vale left home on Friday afternoon to go shopping but never came back. A fatal incident blocked both railway lines between her hometown and Didcot Parkway at around 3pm. Her devastated family, who formally identified her remains earlier this week, spoke to the Advertiser about their loss.

This is the second tragic death they have suffered. Kelly’s brother Corrie Stooke died 15 years ago in what they describe as equally-distressing circumstances.

Kelly’s father John Stooke said: “We are completely and utterly bereft to lose such a vibrant, attractive, courageous and well-loved family member at such a very young age. She was in good spirits when she left at lunchtime to go to Asda. It seems that, whilst the circumstances are not at all clear, this may well have been, in the end, an unintended and tragic accident.

“Our thoughts are not solely with the devastation to our own family. We also believe the train driver was naturally traumatised and he or she also remains very much in our thoughts and prayers.”

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Kelly, who was well known and popular in media circles, spent 15 years presenting on local BBC radio stations before heading to London to produce a daytime show for Radio 6 Music. Better known at the time under her maiden name of Kelly Stooke, which she often used as a byline even after she got married, she regularly wrote reviews for the Adver and freelanced for the website 365 Bristol. Kelly also wrote on Swindon Web as the Mum About Town, briefly presented a show on Ujima FM Radio in Bristol, and worked in the marketing group at the British Computing Society before her death.

According to relatives, she was planning to consolidate some of her projects through the fledgling KMAJ Media company. But these plans have been tragically cut short. An inquest into the cause and circumstances of Mrs Jobanputra’s death will be held at a later date.

The family have asked to be left alone while they grieve for Kelly and for speculation about how her life ended to be avoided until the inquest establishes the facts of the incident.