Girl's sudden death is unexplained

Fern Summers had been in good health at school on Friday

The sudden death of an 12-year-old at her Norfolk home remains unexplained.

A postmortem examination at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge on Tuesday failed to find conclusive evidence to determine why Fern Summers, of West Newton, died.

Fern's body was found by a younger sister at her home on Saturday.

She had been in apparently good health at her school the day before.

Fern's father died two months ago and a brother died from meningitis in 1995.

Flu concern

There had been concern that Fern had become a victim of a flu outbreak as an 11-year-old boy from Hunstanton died of flu-like symptoms on 27 October 2003.

Health experts have confirmed that the boy died from a strain of Fujian-like flu virus.

This incident in isolation is tragic enough, but coupled with the other two deaths it is devastating for the family Richard Brown, head teacher at Smithdon High School

So far tests on Fern to determine if she died from the flu strain have proved inconclusive and further examinations were to be carried out.

Pupils at the her school, Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, were informed of the death on Monday and a condolence book opened.

Head teacher Richard Brown said it was a terrible time for the family after so many tragedies.

A school in shock

"There is no question that the school is in shock - there was no indication that this was going to happen," he said.

"The girl was in school on Friday and when the news of this broke over the weekend it was a great shock.

"It is extraordinary that this is the third tragedy for the family - in 1995 Fern's brother died of meningitis and more recently their father also died.

"This incident in isolation is tragic enough, but coupled with the other two deaths it is devastating for the family."

Students at the school in Downs Road have been offered counselling from the school's health staff and from Norfolk County Council's schools psychological service.