THE mother of Leslie Elkington, 11, who died after collapsing at his Stanley school, has talked for the first time about her family's loss.

Leslie's mum, Amanda Law, 30, said: "Leslie had been playing football in the morning with the headteacher and some other kids. He was his usual bright and breezy, healthy self. After his football game he went in for a lesson.

"At about 10.30am he started to feel dizzy and short of breath. A firstaider was called but he collapsed and he died later in hospital.

"He felt no pain and went so suddenly. They are doing tests on his heart to see if he had any problems that had not been detected."

Leslie, who lived in Stanley, was sitting a Standard Assessment Test at Shield Row Primary School when he became ill. Paramedics were unable to revive him.

An inquest was opened and adjourned on Monday but the cause of death has not yet been established. Officials said it was too early to say if his death - which happened last Thursday but has only just been confirmed - was in any way linked to the exam.

The tragedy has shocked staff and fellow pupils at the school.

Headteacher Eric Patterson said Leslie had been a well-liked boy who was always fit and healthy.

He said: "The school has been absolutely devastated by his sudden and unexpected death and all of our thoughts are now with his family."

Mr Patterson said the school closed at noon last Friday, the day after Leslie's death, as a sign of respect to him and his family.

Pupils attended a special assembly in his memory in the morning.

Leslie lived with his mother, Amanda, brother, Jack, seven, and sister, Perri, six, in Stanley.

Ms Law, who moved to the town a year ago, left a notice in the window of her living room this week thanking her neighbours for their kindness and the bunches of flowers.

She wrote: "I would like to thank everyone for their beautiful flowers and cards, for their kind, thoughtful and heartfelt words of sympathy for me and my family at this sad time.

"Lez was an extremely popular lad who always had a ready smile. He will be sadly missed by all of us. Your words of affection show me this.

"You will never realise how much it means to me to live in a community with such compassionate friends."

Neighbour Doreen Laycock, 77, said: "It is heartbreaking for Amanda and the little ones. Leslie was a smashing little boy. He liked to play football, he was active, fit and healthy.

"They think he may have suffered a heart attack but no-one seems to know what could have caused it. It came completely out of the blue."

Ms Law said it was essential they found out how Leslie died - for the sake of his brother and sister. She said: "The hospital told us that a heart problem is the most likely cause for his death. Leslie was never ill; he was such a healthy, happy little boy. This is why it has come as such a tremendous, awful shock to us.

"He was a perfect son and to lose him so suddenly has been unbearable.

"He had been enjoying school and had been doing well in his Sats - he'd just got a mark of 80 per cent. He was a very bright boy who was doing extremely well in all his studies. He did not appear to be concerned one bit about school."

Ms Law said Leslie's siblings were struggling to come to terms with their brother's death. She said: "They are confused and upset, but we are trying to come to terms with it together. They know what a wonderful brother they had.

"Leslie loved his football. He supported Man United and his idol was David Beckham.

"He was such a fan that he even copied his mohican hairstyle which I let him have for a little while during the summer holidays."

Durham County Council's education director Keith Mitchell said he had been deeply shocked to hear of the sudden death of Leslie.

He said: "It came like a bolt out of the blue to everyone concerned, his family, friends, the school and ourselves. From what we know he had no previous medical history that would have indicated anything like this was likely.

"Naturally, the sudden death of any young person is a matter of the very greatest concern to their school and to us as the education authority, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, relatives and friends at this very sad time.

"I have asked for a full report on the circumstances surrounding the events, but until the results of a post mortem examination are known, we are not able to speculate on why this young life has been lost."

A spokesman for Durham County Council said: "Leslie was sitting a maths Standard Assessment Test when he was taken ill in the classroom part of the way through.

"He was attended by a member of staff trained in first aid until the arrival of the paramedics with the ambulance service.

"Sadly Leslie died after he arrived at hospital in Durham.We are satisfied the school took prompt and proper action, the staff who were there did everything they could to help Leslie when he became ill."