A millionaire benefactor has left more than £75,000 in her will to benefit the people of Burley-in-Whar-fedale.

Daphne Sharpe, who lived in the village, has left a total of more than £4m to friends, relatives, charities and good causes.

And Mrs Sharpe, formerly of Southfield Road, made sure the community council and local churches were remembered in her will.

Last year it was revealed that the community council was to benefit from a £25,000 bequest. And now with the publishing of Mrs Sharpe's will it has become clear that this was just one of several bequests to the village.

The childless 79-year-old widow, who was not known as a church-goer, has also left £25,000 each to Burley Methodist Church and St Mary's Church. Mrs Sharpe also left £25,000 to Saltaire United Reform Church and varying amounts to a number of other organisations and individuals.

Bequests include £50,000 to Giggleswick School and £100,000 to the Yorkshire gliding club.

The will stipulates that the residue should be left to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of Poole in Dorset.

Mrs Sharpe left a number of bequests of varying amounts to her brothers, nephews and nieces, and to other friends and family members.

She also left paintings and other works of art, as well as the Sharpe Coat of Arms and the family photographs.

Her collection of wines and spirits has been left to Dr Duncan Newton, who lives in the village.

Mrs Sharpe and her husband Donald moved to Burley about 15 years ago after selling up their business Sharpes Cards.

The couple made annual donations of £1,000 to the community council, and the BCC was left £10,000 in Mr Sharpe's will when he died in 1994.

For the five years before her death his widow had donated an annual gift of £3,000 towards Burley - unknown to many in the village.

After her death community council member Tom Sumner described her as a very private person who did not like to publicise the good work she did.

He said: "She never liked anyone to know what she was doing. She was very secretive in the sense that she didn't want her name bandied around the village."

He added: "She was a very generous woman, and there are lots of organisations throughout the area that have benefited from her generosity. She was a very kind benefactor, and even after her death she was still doing something to help the village."

The two Burley churches left money in Mrs Sharpe's will are waiting to see whether any terms are attached to the bequests before deciding how to spend the money.

But the donation could have a major impact on the finances of the Methodist Church which is around £36,000 in debt after paying for major refurbishment work.

The Rev Helen Harrell said she didn't know the exact terms of her will and whether the money had been given for a specified purpose.

But she added: "If it has not got a specified purpose attached to it then it will clear a substantial part of our debt - for which we are extremely grateful."

The treasurer for St Mary's Mr Pip Hayes is also still waiting to find out if strings are attached.

He said: "We have to wait to see what the terms are. It is the second largest we have had. It is a very generous bequest."

He said he didn't believe Mrs Sharpe actually came to the church, but she was a very generous benefactor nevertheless. During her life she donated a piano worth about £1,000 as well as various other gifts.

"If anyone was asking for sponsorship or anything like that they could always rely on her to help," he added.

Mrs Sharpe died in hospital in July last year after an illness