FRIENDS and neighbours have paid tribute to a “good as gold” pensioner who died after falling from a Bexleyheath car park on Wednesday (May 1).

Jean Gerlack, 67, died at the scene after falling from the roof top car park of Broadway Shopping Centre at around 10.15am on a busy and bright shopping day.

A witness who ran to check her pulse immediately after the impact claims he saw the grandmother fall “head first” after she was seen sitting on top of the wall moments earlier.

Alan Morris has lived in Elsa Road, Welling, for more than 40 years with wife Linda, 64, and the couple were neigbours of Mrs Gerlack and husband Barry until they moved last year.

The 66-year-old told News Shopper: “We were very close to them and she was good as gold.

“What a great and tragic loss.

“She was a really nice lady and what a loss she’s going to be to this world.

“Someone like Jean you would expect her to go on until she was in her 80s or 90s.

“I can’t praise her enough.”

The alarm systems fitter says Mrs Gerlack used to work in a “high profile” bank job in The City.

He added: “If there was a problem she would be the sort of person to sort you out.

“Now I am thinking we should have got to know her a lot more.”

Fellow Elsa Road resident Keith Irving, 51, knew the mother-of-two until she moved to Barnehurst last year and says she “idolised her family”, including son Danny and daughter Zoe.

The plasterer said: “I’m really, really shocked.

“Every time I saw her she always spoke to me and the kids.

“They are a very nice family.”

The father-of-three says Barry Gerlack went to work and had been in contact with his wife the day the incident happened.

Mr Irving’s next-door neighbour Jimmy Brookes, 38, added: “I’m devastated.

“She was just a lovely, normal woman who was ever-so nice.”