A DORSET author today told of his meeting with the last survivor of the Titanic just before she died.

Roger Hardingham, of Osmington Mills, met with Millvina Dean, 97, two weeks ago after finishing her biography and was planning a dinner event with her as the guest of honour.

But Miss Dean died in the early hours of Sunday morning at the nursing home where he had met her.

She was nine weeks old when she boarded the Titanic with her family in 1912 to begin a new life in Kansas where her father planned to become a tobacconist.

When her father heard the ship hit an iceberg she was bundled up in a sack and later rescued from a lifeboat with her mother and brother.

But her father drowned when the liner sank and the family returned to England to live in the New Forest.

Mr Hardingham’s interest in the Titanic led him to writing the biography of Millvina and he is proud that he had a chance to meet her before she died this week.

He said: “I had great respect for her because she was dignified about it all and she realised in the end how important it was that she was the final survivor.

“She had hundreds of letters every month from people all over the world and they were from people who genuinely cared about her.

“It was a delight to meet her and it turned out to be the last time.

“She must have gone downhill after that.

Millvina was born Elizabeth Gladys Dean on February 2, 1912, but became known as Millvina.

She was eight years old when she was told that she was on the Titanic and since it was discovered in 1985 she has appeared on television and radio.

She has also appeared at conventions and exhibitions and was made the British Titanic Society’s honorary president.

This year when she needed help to pay costs at her Southampton nursing home the Hollywood actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio – who starred in the film Titanic – donated money to help.

He added: “She was quite a celebrity there and always had television crews turning up.

“In my work I meet some amazing people and come away thinking ‘my God what ever happens I’ve met some wonderful people.’ She was one of them.”

“I’m pleased I was able to have a little part and that she lived long enough to read the book herself.

“She was proud to have a book written about her.

“I’m just sorry she didn’t get the chance to do what would have been ‘an evening with Millvina’ as we planned.”