A 'lovely and pleasant' teenage girl has died in a suspected drugs tragedy.

Karen Harland, 19, who police said came from a highly respectable home in Chester-le-Street, was found unconscious at her boyfriend's home on Saturday morning. Paramedics were unable to revive her.

Karen's death has devastated family and friends who described her as a nice girl who wouldn't even have more than a couple of drinks on a night out.

Her father, Glen, spoke briefly outside his family's semi-detached home on Park Road Central adjacent to the A167 on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street.

"We are all just too distressed to talk about it but I would say this is a wake-up call to every other family about what can happen," he said.

Police said that an ambulance crew and police officers were called to Karen's boyfriend's terraced home at Urpeth Terrace at High Handenhold, between Stanley and Chester-le-Street, after answering a call from occupants of the house.

Detectives said they were keeping an open mind on circumstances surrounding the death although drugs were thought to be involved.

A worker at the nearby pub, The Bird Inn, who did not wish to be named, said Karen would often pop in for a game of pool with her boyfriend and other friends.

She said: "She was quite quiet and a very pretty little thing.

"She was a nice girl who came from a nice background. She would maybe have two wine and sodas and that would be it.

"She came in the night before she died and this is really shocking."

Karen had worked as a temporary clerk at Northern Electric and Gas offices in Gateshead for six months until shortly before she died.

Her senior team leader, Jean Bingham, said: "Karen was a very friendly, hard-working member of the team, a pleasure to work with. We are all very shocked and saddened by this."

A post-mortem was carried out on Tuesday at the University Hospital of North Durham in Durham City by Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper. An inquest was planned for Thursday.

* Two men, a 24-year-old, from Grange Villa, and a 21-year-old from High Handenhold, were arrested at the weekend on suspicion of being in supply of controlled drugs.

They were interviewed and released on police bail pending further inquiries.