The heartbroken widow of Spencer Bell has paid tribute to her "remarkable" husband and said she is completely shattered by his death.

Iram Shahzad, 32, was given a suspended jail sentence of 14 months after crashing into Spencer Bell, 71, who had rushed to the aid of Alan Trethewey in the middle of the northbound M1.

Trethewey, 67, had jumped from a bridge over the motorway on January 30 last year.

Motorists, including Mr Bell, stopped in the carriageway and hard-shoulder to help Mr Trethewey after he plunged from the bridge between Junction 5 and 6 near Watford.

The court heard Shahzad approached Bucknalls Lane over-bridge at "between 82 and 88mph" and moved into lane three to pass the slowing traffic.

But after seeing two stopped vehicles yards from Mr Trethewey, she "swerved to the left" to avoid crashing into the stationary vehicles and collided with Mr Bell who had crouched down to help the 67-year-old.

Wendy Bell told St Albans Crown Court the ex-policeman "treated her like a princess" and was a "good, kind and unselfish man, who was always ready to help anyone, as was proved the day he was killed."

She said: "Not only am I completely shattered by the death of my lovely husband. But the community has greatly suffered from the death of this remarkable man."

The court heard the pair would go on holidays "across the world" twice a year and would regularly go out to dinner with friends.

Mrs Bell told St Albans Crown Court: "Once I could not remember the last time I cried. Now I cry all the time I am on my own, which is an awful lot. I have nothing to look forward to, my life has ended and I am just marking time until I join him.

"He gave me confidence to carry on and now I find it frightening when I have to do things on my own. I have to make a huge effort to do things because we were always together. You did not know where he ended and I began.

"We had such a special love for each other. I wake each morning and for a few seconds think it was a nightmare, then I realise it isn’t and I cry.

"He was my life, it revolved around him. I lived for him. He was my reason to live. My very being."

The 71-year-old and his wife rescued and re-homed thousands of battery hens and Mr Bell worked for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home after serving in the Metropolitan Police Force for 31 years. He was based in Mill Hill.

The pair also supported stray hens in Corfu by sending tons of food to the island and she said .

Mrs Bell said: "He worked a great deal for the community, as the treasurer of the Bushey Youth and Community Centre for about 15 years until his death.

"He was the chairman of the local police panel until it was disbanded. Any campaigns or help that was needed in the community, he was there always ready to lend a hand.

"He weekly touched base with family and friends who had lost their partners to make sure there was not anything needed."