Family pay tribute to ‘brilliant’ British lawyer killed by poisoned alcohol

The family of Simone White have paid tribute to their daughter after she was killed by ‘poisoned alcohol’ while on holiday in Laos.

The 28-year-old died yesterday and was also among those thought to have been poisoned by methanol after allegedly being served free drinks in Laos.

Her brother this morning told Metro the family had gone through a ‘horrific’ time and he paid tribute to his ‘brilliant’ sister.

Other neighbours of the family from Kent told Metro she was an ‘absolutely lovely girl’.

Simone – a solicitor who lived with her family in Orpington, died after she reportedly fell ill last week while staying in the backpacking hotspot with her friend Bethany Clarke, who said she had been in hospital after the incident as well.

In a post on a Laos backpacking Facebook group on November 16, which has since been deleted, Ms Clarke wrote: ‘Urgent – please avoid all local spirits.

‘Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars.

Earlier today Australian teenager Holly Bowles became the sixth person to die from suspected methanol poisoning after travelling in Laos.

Methanol is sometimes used as the alcohol in mixed drinks at disreputable bars and can cause severe poisoning or death.

The NHS warns that as little as 4ml of methanol can cause visual hallucinations and blindness.

A neighbour in Orpington told Metro: ‘She was an absolutely lovely girl from a lovely family and we all feel desperately sad for them, it’s heartbreaking. 

‘I am a mother it could happen to any young person going away. You would not wish this on your worst enemy.

‘Of course they are going to have a drink when they go on holiday. She as a very sensible girl she would not do anything dangerous. 

‘She was very clever and a good friend to all. She had her whole life ahead of her, what a waste.’

‘We knew her and are obviously very upset and so is the whole street.’

A woman who answered the door at the White family home said: ‘It’s too early for the family to speak.’

Neighbour Ron Ferrier, 76, told Metro: ‘This is a tragedy,  an awful thing to happen.

‘My son is over in the area this happened and when I saw it on the news I thought the worst.’

It’s desperately sad for the family and it brings it home that it could happen to anyone.’

It comes as Thai police have detained the owner and the manager of Nana Backpacker Hostel, where affected travellers who visited the town were staying, however no one has been charged over the incident.

An officer at Vang Vieng’s Tourism Police office said a ‘number of people’ had been detained in the case, with staff at the hostel confirming that the manager and owner were among those taken in for questioning.

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