WHEN Michael Jackson died in June last year, the sadness was felt by fans around the world.

But none more so it seems, than by Deborah Longshaw, from Charlbury.

The mother-of-two was left so devastated by the news of the 50-year old singer’s death, she decided to reach out to fans across the world to see how they were coping.

She said the feedback she received inspired her to – in the words of her idol – “make that change” and launch a new career as a writer to record the tales of how they had turned their grief into something positive.

Mrs Longshaw said: “I was completely devastated when Michael passed away.

“I think my family think I have gone mad. But I was one of those people who thought he would go on forever.

“I was at a loss to know what to do, so for the first time in my life I decided to go on some Internet forums to see how other people were getting on.

“I think Michael’s fans are mainly women of a certain age.

“To be able to reach out to these fans and hear what they were doing was just amazing.

“Writing these things down has also been a real help.”

Of the weird and wonderful things Jacko fans were doing to cope with his death, Mrs Longshaw said she was particularly inspired by a group of campaigners in LA, who have designed Justice for Michael T-shirts and jumpers and sit outside his home. She said she also knew of a group of women who have set up a mailbox for fans to send gifts and flowers for Michael.

Every third day of the month, the group film themselves taking the gifts to the superstar’s crypt in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, outside LA, and post it on YouTube.

Mrs Longshaw, a former secretary, said she was also recording the story of a set of fans who are trying to organise a worldwide supersoaker fight, in homage to the singer’s love of the water guns.

She said: “Hopefully this book will show the world that he was an amazing, special and unique person.”

The book will be called Michael Jackson, His Fans, My Friends. Mrs Longshaw is looking for a publisher.