Tributes have been paid to equality activist and independence campaigner Leeze Lawrence, who has died.

The 39-year-old was found by police on Friday after friends and family were unable to contact her.

Ms Lawrence, who lived in Stirling, was a key member of the LGBT group Out for Independence, acting as the group’s Convener.

She was an equality advocate and actively campaigned for the equal rights of minorities, particularly the transgender community.

She was also a journalist, working for the BBC and others as a producer and creating a number of works documenting the lives of transgender and gay people.

In a statement this morning, Out For Independence members described their convener as a “force of nature” and said they were “heartbroken”.

Their statement read: “Out For Independence is heartbroken to announce the passing of our Convener, Leeze Lawrence. It has been a huge shock. We ask for people to respect her family's privacy at this time.

“Leeze was a force of nature — loud, fierce, supportive and committed. Her life has been the kind of whirlwind she was, and she brought her vast network of contacts and experiences to Out For Independence to help us make new connections, build better policies and build shared solidarity between groups.

“She was dedicated to learning, becoming a better ally, and a better activist. In the last few months of her life, she was learning from GRT communities and we were planning with them the best way we could support LGBTQ+ Travellers. We hope to be able to continue that work in her memory.

“We will miss the way she went from no-nonsense organising with an iron will to being incredibly compassionate and looking after people who were struggling with abuse and harassment. There's no one way to describe her, except to say it has been a privilege to know her, and we miss her.”