SOCIALITE and campaigner against drugs Naomi de Ferranti has died aged 73 after a long battle with cancer.

She was married to engineering tycoon Sebastian de Ferranti and both were great friends with the Royal family, although they remained very private people.

Prince Charles particularly enjoyed visits to the de Ferrantis and stayed regularly at their domed stately home - Henbury Hall.

When Princess Diana came to Manchester as patron of Turning Point, the drugs and alcohol treatment charity, she asked Naomi to help her with the new project.

According to Sebastian, Naomi met a public schoolboy on a train who was a drug addict, which made her realise the classlessness of drug abuse.

This led her to spend 15 years campaigning and fundraising to help young people with drug abuse problems.

Naomi led a full life and was involved in founding children's helpline Drugwatch as well as being a Deputy Lieutenant of Manchester.

She made history by becoming the only girl to attend Manchester Grammar in its 500-year history after her adoptive father and governor of the school decided she should have extra tuition in French and maths.

Naomi was born in Bolton and educated at St Mary's Wantage and Eastbourne.

She was adopted in her teens by her aunt, who was married to Alec Greg of Greg's Mills - now called Quarry Bank, a 25-year-old working mill and country park given to the National trust by her uncle in the Sixties.

She did not forget her heritage and for many years was a trustee of the Quarry Bank Mill Trust.

Naomi was a great horsewoman and was in turn Joint Master and then chairman of the Cheshire Hunt through some difficult times, including bomb threats from saboteurs and changes in public opinion.

Despite serious illness she marched with the Countryside Alliance in London last year.

Due to her illness she was forced to give up riding but took up carriage driving, which both she and her husband enjoyed in the grounds of Henbury Hall.

At home Naomi was a keen gardener and appeared on Gardeners' Question Time which was hosted at Henbury Hall.

She was married first to Keith Rae, MC, but married Sebastian de Ferranti in 1982.

She is also survived by her four children, Miranda, Jenny, Alistair and Sofia.