The heartbroken family of a York schoolgirl who died when she was knocked down by a car at the weekend have paid tribute to a "ray of sunshine" who looked destined to be a singing star.

Family snapshot of Lizzie

Lizzie Gilmour, from Acomb, was killed as she walked along the York outer ring road on Saturday.

The 15-year-old, who idolised Canadian singer Celine Dion, was being professionally coached and was halfway through recording a compact disc of love songs to launch her career.

In November, her proud parents Dave and Rose watched her win second place in the finals of a major young talent competition in Bridlington.

Last night, at their home in St Stephen's Road, they were struggling to come to terms with the loss of the youngest of their five children.

Mrs Gilmour said: "She was our baby. She was always happy and smiling and she was the life and soul of the party. People absolutely adored her.

"Everybody has been saying what a ray of sunshine and breath of fresh air she was."

Condolences have flooded in along with a stream of visitors and telephone calls.

Friends from Lowfield School, where Lizzie was a popular pupil, have placed floral tributes at the scene, near the ring road's junction with Askham Lane.

Mr Gilmour said: "We have got a lot of support and reassurance from all the tributes. It just shows how much people adored her."

Mrs Gilmour's brother, Terry Bellwood, said: "She was a wonderful girl and a star in her own right."

On Saturday night the family became worried when Lizzie did not phone to say where she was after leaving the house at 6.30pm. Calls to her mobile phone went unanswered.

By 9.30pm relatives were frantically scouring the area and at midnight they called in police.

In the early hours of Sunday, officers told them Lizzie had been hit by a car at about 8.20pm.

Officers had at first been unable to trace her relatives as she was not carrying any identification.

The family does not know why she was walking along the ring road but believes she might have been going to see a cousin.

Lizzie was a keen dancer, a sports all-rounder and a music lover who played the violin and saxophone. Her love of drama had seen her perform at York's Theatre Royal.

Her favourite song, Celine Dion's ballad My Heart Will Go On, will be played at her funeral at St Stephen's Church in Acomb on Wednesday next week.

An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned today.

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