A MEMORIAL service will be held at the school of a “vibrant” and “loveable” schoolgirl who died suddenly last week.

Katie Webb was flown to Birmingham Children’s Hospital last Wednesday after she was discovered at her home in Evesham, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to the 12-year-old, who was a pupil at the town’s Simon de Montfort Middle School.

In a statement released through Worcestershire County Council today, headteacher Caroline Browne said she was held in high regard by staff and would be very much missed.

She said: “We were all terribly shocked and upset to hear of the tragic death of Katie Webb.

“Katie was in Year 7 and I and my colleagues had a lot of affection for her. She was a young girl full of curiosity and was always interested in what was going on around her and eager to offer help to anyone.

“Katie enjoyed herself at school and we enjoyed having her with us. It is very, very sad and we will really miss her.

“Our thoughts are with her family, friends, students and staff at this very sad time and school will offer all the support we possibly can to all those affected.

“Our focus now is to help her family, friends and our whole community through this difficult time.”

In a letter to parents set to be issued today, Ms Browne said pupils were made aware of the tragedy on Thursday morning.

She said Worcestershire’s Educational Psychology Service had been asked to come into school to work with its own staff to support youngsters and colleagues.

Ms Browne said there were plans to hold memorial service in the school at the appropriate time for Katie's family.

Within hours of her death, flowers had been laid in her memory in the town’s Market Square and a tribute page on Facebook had received more than 2,000 ‘likes’ in sympathy.

Katie’s former headteacher David Braham at Bengeworth First School said his and the school’s sympathies were with her family, and described her as “a vibrant and happy pupil”.

Officers from West Mercia Police are currently investigating the death, which is being not being treated as suspicious.