A successful bowls player from Watford who represented both Hertfordshire and England has died aged 92.

Iris Smith passed away peacefully in a care home on January 3.

The great-grandmother of six was a committed member of Watford Ladies, which has since merged with Gaston Bowls Club, and represented the club, district, county and country.

During her involvement in the game she proved her talents across all areas of the sport, winning a variety of singles, pairs, fours and two bowl trophies.

However it was in her pairs competitions where she found her biggest successes.

During the 1980s, she represented England six times, alongside her partner Sophie Simmons, who passed away just days before Ms Smith.

Pat Gascoyne, a member of the bowls club, said: “She was a great mentor and friend to me - she taught me a lot about the game and was a great supporter.

“She was enthusiastic about bowls and she helped a lot of people.

“She was a great bowler and a very nice friend – I will miss her a lot.”

Despite her large collections of trophies, Ms Smith never boasted about her success.

Ms Gascoyne added: “She was very low key about her achievements – she was very humble.

“It is a great achievement to play for England in any sport.”

During her time at the club, Ms Smith also taught people how to play, and her techniques and skills are still being used by players now.

Ms Gascoyne still uses some of her teaching techniques in her sessions today.

She said: “She would often say things in short lines that you could remember.”

Ms Smith stopped playing bowls due to ill-health however she continued to visit the pitch to watch and support her fellow players.