TENPIN bowling champion Josephine Chapman has died at the age of 71.

Josephine, known as Josie, was born in Poole and lived in a basement flat with her mother, Florence Leaver, in Ashley Road.

Despite a difficult start in life with little money, she grew up excelling at sport which eventually led her to tenpin bowling.

In 1967 she won the Ladies Singles title at Wembley and was selected for the England team in the world championships in 1968 in Malmo, Sweden.

While training with her coach Fred Page in Branksome, she worked for the gas board and then F English's Garage, before marrying in 1969 and moving to Rumburgh, Suffolk. It was there she was able to follow her passion for breeding horses and, in 1978, gave birth to her daughter Helen.

In 2012 she moved to Norfolk and, in 2015, was told the devastating news that she only had two years to live due to kidney failure, and dialysis or a transplant were not an option.

She and Helen made the most of the two years and, on Josie's 70th, Helen treated her mum to afternoon tea at the Ritz, a day both of them would never forget.

The last six months of Josie’s life were toughest, but she fought the illness and kept mobile until nine days before she passed away at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital on December 12.

Helen said her mother had an “amazing life” and a “battle so well fought” that she “couldn't be prouder” of her amazing mother.

Josie’s funeral was held on Friday, December 29.