Tributes To Cheshire Girl In Campsite Tragedy

Tributes have poured in for a teenage girl from Cheshire who was killed in a campsite tragedy thought to have been caused by a disposable barbecue.

Devastated friends set up a Facebook page dedicated to the schoolgirl, named locally as Hannah Thomas-Jones, who was pronounced dead at a Shropshire campsite after suffering a cardiac arrest at around 10am on Sunday.

Her parents and younger brother were all taken to hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gillian Bremner, head teacher at Wilmslow High School in Cheshire, where Hannah was a pupil, said the school would release a statement today after a staff meeting when teachers and pupils return from the Bank Holiday break.

The family of four were discovered unconscious in their tent at the Baron at Bucknell campsite. The owners of the site said a disposable barbecue, which was used on Saturday night, was found in the porch of the tent.

Hannah, believed to be 14, was pronounced dead at the scene, despite efforts by a doctor staying on the site and paramedics to revive her.

Her teenage brother and their parents were taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where they remained today. West Mercia Police said the boy was stable but ``unwell'' and the parents were comfortable.

More than 300 people have ``liked'' a Facebook page set up in remembrance of Hannah, and scores of people have posted messages of condolence.

West Mercia Police said the death was being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.

Detective Inspector Gavin Kinrade said: ``Although our work at the scene concluded yesterday afternoon, we will continue to work with the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service to investigate this incident.

``We are treating the girl's death as unexplained, but there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. It is therefore unlikely we will have any longer-term involvement with this incident.''

Phil and Debra Wright, who own the Baron at Bucknell pub and its adjacent campsite, said the family was part of a larger group made up of the mother's two sisters and their respective partners and children, staying in a number of tents on the site.

In a brief statement released through the hospital, the extended family said the incident had ``devastated'' them and requested privacy to deal with the tragedy.

The statement said: ``Our priority as a family is to ensure that the three people in hospital get well and are fully recovered.

``We are devastated by this tragic accident and will release a full statement at a later date.

``We would ask that you respect our privacy at this time.''