Tributes have been paid to a university student from Huntingdon who died just days after winning election to a council seat in Wales.

The Hunts Post: Emily Price with Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat party leader.Emily Price with Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat party leader. (Image: Archant)

Emily Price, 22, died on May 12, days before she was due to take a seat on Aberystwyth Town Council as a Liberal Democrat councillor.

The former St Peter’s School Sixth Form student had been elected to the seat on May 4, fulfilling an ambition to stand for the Lib Dems.

She had been studying maths and physics at Aberystwyth University and, having handed in her dissertation, had made plans to begin a masters degree next year.

Aberystwyth Town Council held a minute’s silence at its meeting last Monday (May 15), when Ms Price would have made her declaration to become a councillor.

Councillor Sarah Conboy, on behalf of the Huntingdonshire Liberal Democrats, said: “The extended Liberal Democrat family would like to express our deepest sorrow at the news of the death of Emily Price.

“We send our condolences to her mum and dad, Natasha and John, and her sisters Katie and Hannah. She had so much to give to society and she had only very recently been elected to the town council in Aberystwyth, the town where she studied for her degree and set down so many roots.

“Emily’s time with her friends and family was cut cruelly short, but we hope that many will seek to inspire and motivate those around them in the way Emily would have done herself. The outpouring of affection for her through social media has been immense, and can only add to the prayers for those who will miss Emily most.”

Mark Cole, an honorary president of the Welsh Young Liberals, said: “Emily was a real character and she was a beloved member of the Aberystwyth University students group of which she was until recently the president.

“She had helped lead a revitalised society that put so much effort into recent parliamentary, assembly and council campaigns.

“But she also led a renaissance in the social activities of the group – I haven’t known such a close-knit and family-like group of liberal students in Aberystwyth for many years and Emily was very much the happy matriarch of this growing brood of young liberals.”

St Peter’s School Sixth Form tweeted: “We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of former student Emily Price. Our thoughts and condolences go to her family and friends.”