TRIBUTES have been paid to a student from Norton Fitzwarren with a ‘beautiful soul’ whose body was found at a property containing ‘unknown chemical substances’.

The sudden death of the woman, who was aged in her 30s and has been named locally as Jennifer Lander, was reported to Dorset Police just before 8.10pm on Thursday, January 12.

Officers went to a building in Gillett Road in Poole on the Dorset university’s Talbot Campus before contacting fire crew to evacuate the surrounding properties and deal with the chemicals.

All firefighters had left the scene by 11.10pm.


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A Dorset Police spokesman said that there are no suspicious circumstances.

The woman’s next of kin have been informed and the coroner has been notified.

Yesterday, police would not say what the chemical substances were.

Jennifer, known as Jen to friends and loved ones, had moved from Norton Fitzwarren to study Mechanical Engineering at Bournemouth University last year, according to her Facebook page.

Her friend, Andy Snook, had known Jen through his local gym for around seven years.

He added: “I am devastated. She was always active in the gym and we went to Body Power shows together.

“I called her the ‘Jenerator’ and she would always say ‘Titan power’ to me because I’m a body builder.

“She was a beautiful soul.”

Andy said that he last saw Jen in the gym around two weeks ago while she was at home for the university’s Christmas break.

He added: “She told me that she was excited to pass all her exams at Bournemouth University.

“She was a wonderful, kind and caring person, who was the life and soul of the party.

“I think her funeral is going to be packed.”

A spokesperson for Bournemouth University said that they were actively working with the police on the matter.

They added that they were making support available for any students who have been affected.

Students at the Talbot Campus had previously told Daily Echo about seeing the emergency services at the scene.

Josh Wilde, 18, who lives on the campus, said: “It’s incredibly sad and my thoughts are with the person’s family.”