Quarry fall girl was 'star pupil'

Police say they are not treating the death as suspicious

A teenager who died in a quarry fall this week was a star pupil destined to be head girl at her school, her head teacher has said.

Amber Worth, 13, was struck on the head by a large rock when she fell into a quarry in Cemetery Road, Grimethorpe, near Barnsley, on Wednesday night.

A post-mortem examination showed she died of multiple injuries, police said.

Tony Loveday, head of Willowgarth High School in Grimethorpe, said: "The sense of loss here is absolutely enormous."

He said: "It really is difficult here at the moment, because we are a community school serving ex-mining communities where this sort of tragedy is keenly felt.

"To lose any pupil would be a tragedy, but this girl was potentially our head girl in two years' time.

I was with the family last night and saw some of the messages on the floral tributes and it was very difficult to cope with Tony Loveday, head teacher

"We are looking at someone who was going to get really high levels in her SATs. Her effort grades were as high as you could get."

Mr Loveday said Amber was interested in the arts and dancing in particular.

"She was in a school production last Thursday and was one of the stars of the show - she lit up the stage with her personality," he said.

"That will be the last memory a lot of people have of her and what a great one."

Mr Loveday said Amber's younger sister Olivia, 11, was also a pupil at the school.

"I was with the family last night and saw some of the messages on the floral tributes and it was very difficult to cope with.

"I'm a 6ft 3in ex-rugby player and I had tears in my eyes."

He said the school planned to make some fitting memorial to Amber but would wait until the family was ready to be consulted on what form it should take.