A teenage girl has died after collapsing at school in Ripon.

Odette Coulson, 14, was a pupil at Ripon Grammar School and collapsed in the school grounds on Friday lunchtime.

She was taken by ambulance to Harrogate District Hospital, where she died later in the afternoon.

Headmaster Alan Jones said: "The appropriate authorities have not yet, of course, established exactly what happened, but it appears that Odette was standing chatting to friends on the edge of the school field when she suddenly collapsed.

"She was tended to immediately by duty staff, who were only yards away, and an ambulance arrived promptly to take her to hospital."

A special assembly was held on Monday morning and members of staff, with the aid of counsellors from the county council's pupil support service, have been on hand to help pupils to cope with the loss.

Odette joined the school from Ripon Cathedral Choir School in September 1997.

Mr Jones said: "The school is devastated by the news and our hearts go out to Odette's family and friends at this dreadful time. Our thoughts are with them.

"She was a bright, sensible and popular girl who worked hard and was doing very well at school. She had greatly enjoyed taking part in our recent school musical and was an enthusiastic member of the Cathedral Girls' Choir. We shall miss her greatly."

An inquest has been opened and adjourned.

Updated: 11:40 Wednesday, May 02, 2001