THE captain of a school netball team died after she hit her head warming up for a PE lesson, an inquest heard yesterday.

Rebecca Cooper, 14, of Hide Close, Stockton, was described as a very intelligent, confident, positive and happy teenager at Our Lady and St Bede's School in Stockton.

She was captain of her year's netball team and represented the school in athletics, hockey and football. But her life was cut short in a tragic accident, according to Teesside coroner Michael Sheffield.

On March 7 last year, Rebecca and her classmates were preparing for a game of netball in their PE class.

The girls were jogging backwards when Rebecca tripped, fell over and banged her head.

Teacher Julia Scott, who ran over to her, told the hearing that Rebecca wanted to stand up - but natural instinct told her that it was serious.

Although Rebecca was still conscious, her condition deteriorated. By the time an ambulance arrived minutes later, she was being sick and becoming increasingly confused.

She was admitted to North Tees Hospital and later transferred to the regional neurosurgery unit at Middlesbrough General Hospital.

There, her condition deteriorated further because of a fractured skull, swelling and bruising in the brain, and a build-up of pressure.

Five days later her condition became worse and she was pronounced brain dead. She died that day, and her family agreed to allow her organs to be donated.

A health and safety investigation later discovered that there was nothing wrong with the surface of the netball court.

Mr Sheffield, recording a verdict of accidental death, said: "What occurred seems to have been a rare, tragic unforeseen mischance which happened to an athletic young girl but could have happened to anyone."