MILLIONAIRE Jean Cuthbert has left thousands of pounds to the Thames Vintage Boat Club in her will.

Jean, known to her friends as Kit, died in December last year.

She lived at Riversdale, Bourne End, and left an estate valued at £8,548,357 and bequeathed £5,000 in her will to the boat club.

She was one of the original members of the club, which has around 200 members, that was founded at Old Windsor, in March 1983, to provide a club and forum for all types of traditionally built craft.

Robin Newlands, president of the club, said: "I knew her for a number of years and she always gathered lots of information for the club.

"She was a very forthright woman who lived on her own and had beautiful cats. She had a lovely house which faced on to the river and I got to know her because I was an inspector down there."

The money left to the Thames Vintage Boat Club will go towards the restoration, maintenance of vintage craft and the historical record of all craft in the organisation.