Hanna Yusuf death: Tributes pour in after BBC journalist dies aged 27

Former Independent contributor well known as talented and fearless reporter with eye for big stories

Tributes have poured in for a young BBC journalist who died suddenly at the age of 27.

Hanna Yusuf had also been published in the Independent, The Guardian and The Times during a career in which she had already established herself as a reporter with both an eye for a big story and the courage not to shy away from difficult or controversial subjects.

Among her most powerful work were articles about poor working conditions at Costa Coffee – which led the company to launch an independent audit and an investigation into why increasing numbers of homeless people were choosing to sleep on the streets over shelters.

While contributing to the Independent, she wrote comment pieces on topics varying from racism in the media to the joys of a halal holiday – a package break specially designed for Muslims.

Fran Unsworth, director of news at the BBC, where Hanna had worked for two years, said her death had "left us all deeply saddened."

She added: "Hanna Yusuf was a talented young journalist who was widely admired across the BBC and our utmost sympathies go to her family and many friends. Hanna will be much missed."

The corporation's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet added: “You left too soon a world where you shone such a bright light.”

Born in Somalia in 1992, Hanna lived in the Netherlands before moving to Manchester and then to London.

After completing a degree and then an masters in newspaper journalism at the University of London, she joined the BBC in 2017, during which time she wrote for the website while also working as a researcher on the News at One, News at Six and News at Ten.

She gained some small fame after appearing on Good Morning Britain in 2017 following a ruling by the European Court of Justice which gave employers the right to ban political, religious and philosophical symbols in the work place. She told presenters Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid the legislation would "disproportionately affect Muslim women".

Announcing her death, which occurred last week, her family said: “Hanna was a dedicated young vibrant professional who became a bridge between the media and the community, helping break boundaries in providing a voice and representation.

“Many will know Hanna for her incredible contributions to journalism and for her work at the BBC. While we mourn her loss, we hope that Hanna’s legacy will serve as an inspiration and beacon to her fellow colleagues and to her community and her meaningful memory and the people she has touched for many years lives on.”