Hanna Yusuf, an ‘inspirational’ BBC Journalist who uncovered the working conditions at Costa Coffee stores among a string of investigations has died aged 27.
Hanna Yusuf worked as a researcher on the News at Six and Ten before moving to the BBC News Channel and writing for the BBC News website.
Her investigation into Costa Coffee working conditions revealed managers alleged refusal to pay sickness or annual leave and tips being withheld from staff.
Hanna’s family said they were “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by her death and hoped her legacy “would serve as an inspiration”.
“While we mourn her loss, we hope that Hanna’s legacy will serve as an inspiration and beacon to her fellow colleagues and to her community and her meaningful memory and the people she has touched for many years lives on.”
The BBC’s Fran Unsworth, director of news, described Hanna as a “talented young journalist who was widely admired” and her death was “terrible news”.
She said: “This is terrible news that has left us all deeply saddened. Hanna Yusuf was a talented young journalist who was widely admired across the BBC and our utmost sympathies go to her family and many friends. Hanna will be much missed.”
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Hanna was born in Somalia in 1992 and received a Scott Trust bursary to do an MA in newspaper journalism at City, University of London in 2017.
She had previously studied for a degree at Queen Mary, University of London.
During her career, she also wrote for publications including The Times, The Guardian and The Independent.
In March 2017, Hanna appeared on Good Morning Britain talking about a European Court of Justice ruling giving employers the power to ban all political and religious symbols at work.
She told presenters Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid it would “disproportionately affect Muslim women”. (The Sun)
