AN annual athletics meeting held as a memorial to a 13-year-old schoolgirl who died when swimming was even more poignant this year.

Promising sprinter Anne-Marie Readshaw was pulled unconscious from the pool at Spennymoor Leisure Centre in September 2001 and died shortly afterwards.

She was a popular member of Shildon Athletics Club, which decided to name its annual track and field meeting after her as a tribute.

Club coach and organiser Dave Matthews said: "Ann-Marie was a member of our sprint section and she had a lot of good results. She was a promising sprinter and we had very high hopes for her, so we decided to name this meeting after her as a memorial."

This year's meeting, held on Sunday, was the first since Anne-Marie's brother died in almost identical circumstances last December.

Daniel Readshaw, 13, was swimming at St John's Comprehensive School in Bishop Auckland, when he became distressed and was pulled from the water.

Despite the efforts of staff and paramedics, he died at Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

Their ten-year-old sister Catherine is currently battling leukaemia and is in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where she is receiving treatment for her condition.

Members of the Readshaw family, which includes mother and father Marie and Ian and daughters Nichole and Rachel, usually attend the athletics meeting.

This year they were unable to do so as they were visiting Catherine, whose brave struggle has inspired fundraising for cancer and hospital charities.

Grandmother Kath Conroy, of Ferryhill, said she considered it a great honour that the meeting was named after Ann-Marie and added she was preparing to send a donation to help club funds.

She said: "Running was Ann-Marie's hobby. She trained three times a week in Shildon - she practically lived there.

"The fact that this is recognised throughout the country as Anne-Marie's race is wonderful. I'm only sorry I couldn't be there this year."

The Anne-Marie Readshaw Memorial track and field meeting attracted more than 200 athletes from across the region, competing in nine events in different age groups.