Socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson died peacefully in her sleep, according to her mother.

The former "It Girl" was found dead aged 45 at her London home on Wednesday, just months after revealing she had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

An announcement in the Daily Telegraph said: "Tara Clare died peacefully in her sleep on February 8th 2017. Private funeral."

It was posted by her mother Patricia and appeared in the newspaper on Friday morning.

In November, Palmer-Tomkinson said she was being treated for the non-malignant growth in her pituitary gland and had expressed fears that she would die after being told of her condition.

She was diagnosed with the tumour last January after she returned from a ski trip and was also suffering with an auto-immune disease which had caused tiredness, joint pain and acute anaemia.

Following her death, Palmer-Tomkinson's close friends the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were among the first to pay tribute.

The royal couple said they were "deeply saddened and our thoughts are so much with the family" shortly after the news broke.