The family of a woman who died after a hit and run incident in St Albans have paid tribute to a devoted, warm and sociable mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Barbara Liddle, 76, of Camp Road, St Albans, was crossing the road outside her home to wait for her friend to collect her before a darts match on Thursday, September 28, when she was hit by a vehicle that did not stop at the scene.

Officers and paramedics attended but she sadly Barbara, known as Barbie to her family and friends, died from her injuries.

Her injuries are consistent with being hit by a moving vehicle, however there were no vehicles at the location on police arrival. An investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances around the incident.

Detective Inspector Chris Puddy, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: "To the person who was driving the vehicle involved, you have caused unimaginable pain and suffering to Barbara’s family. You cut her life short and her loved ones now have to live without their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

"I am asking you to do the right thing and hand yourself in.

"We are particularly interested in speaking to the drivers of a medium-sized light-coloured car, possibly a BMW, and a small dark-coloured hatchback. They were seen in the area around the time of the incident and may have information that could be vital to our investigation."

Barbara leaves her son Kevin, 48, her son-in-law Brian, 49, her daughter Sharon, 46, grandchildren Sian, 28, Rhianne, 21, Rhys, aged 17, and Megan, 12, and 10-month-old great-granddaughter Aida.

Barbara was born in St Albans on July 22, 1941, to parents Edward and Eleanor Johnson, and lived in the city all her life. She had two siblings, a sister Eleanor and a brother Edward.

She attended Garden Fields School before moving up to Townsend School for her secondary education.

Barbara was vocally talented and after leaving school became a member of a music group where she was the lead singer.

Son Kevin, who now lives in Blackpool, said: “She was so good – she could have been Simon Cowell’s protégé today. She got headhunted but she was so loyal to her band mates that she said no, she wanted to stay with them.”

Mum of four Sharon said: “Mum was a massive fan of Elvis and Cliff Richard, and later in life she loved George Michael and Michael Jackson. I remember taking her to see a Michael Jackson tribute show at the Lyceum Theatre in London and she thought it was fantastic.”

After leaving school, Barbara found work in local factories including major employer Marconi Instruments.

A young Barbara met her future husband Tony at a dance in the early 1960s and the couple were married on September 5, 1964. They lived in the Cottonmill area before moving to Telford Court, and eventually to Camp Road. During this time, they became parents to Kevin and Sharon.

Sharon, who lives in St Albans, added: “Mum told me that on one of their first dates, she and Dad decided they were going to get married and have a son and a daughter and call them Kevin and Sharon. And that’s exactly what they did.”

Barbara raised her family and worked hard to provide a stable, loving home for her children. Once they were teenagers, she started working at The Camp pub as a barmaid.

Kevin said: “That job really brought mum out of herself - she was the life and soul of the pub. The regulars would always ask her to sing, so she’d hop out from behind the bar and belt a few numbers out. She really enjoyed performing.

“The pub and its people were was a big part of her life. I remember many summers as a child sat outside with a bottle of pop.”

Barbara’s passion was darts, and after first getting a taste for the game during the mid-1980s she began playing locally in St Albans before making her way up to the Hertfordshire Superleague. She often played in competitions that took her all over the country.

Kevin said: “I went to see her play a few times with my Dad and I was so proud. We always used to sit at the back out of sight because if she knew we were there it would make her nervous.

Son-in-law Brian, who also lives in Blackpool, said he and Barbara bonded over their love of darts when he first met her in 1991.

He said: “She was a warm, welcoming woman and we hit it off straight away. We were very close and I called her my ‘mum number two’. She and Tony called me their ‘son number two’.”

Sadly, Tony passed away 13 years ago but after his death Barbara busied herself seeing friends, looking after her grandchildren and filling up her social calendar.

Her close friends Sally and David were a constant source of companionship in her life. She also spent a lot of time with her family nearby, and often visited son Kevin and husband Brian at their home in Blackpool.

Kevin said: “Mum always had her lipstick on and her hair done. She was always well turned out, she looked after herself. She was the best. Sharon and I had such a happy childhood.”