TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to a 13-year-old schoolgirl who died while swimming.

Promising athlete Anne-Marie Readshaw, who was pulled unconscious from the pool at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, in County Durham, on Saturday afternoon was described as a quiet, but extremely popular, girl.

Grandfather Joe Conroy said last night that Anne-Marie, from Ferryhill, County Durham, was "the most loving, considerate kid imaginable".

Pupils at Anne-Marie's school - St John's Comprehensive, Bishop Auckland - were distraught when teachers broke the news yesterday morning.

Staff said: "Anne-Marie was a lovely pupil, who had many close friends in school. She was always extremely pleasant and made a great contribution to school life.

"She was a good friend and popular with staff, as she was always cheerful and could be relied upon to act in a sensible and mature way. She was always willing to help her group in competitions and activities.

"Her lovely personality will be sadly missed."

Anne-Marie was a promising athlete - a district champion over 200m and a potential future county champion. She also represented her school at cross-country and netball.

Peter Davey, Anne-Marie's coach at Shildon Running and Athletics Club, said: "She was a fairly quiet individual, but extremely popular with all the kids in the group and well-liked by everybody.

"She was an extremely promising young athlete over 100 and 200m."

It is thought Anne-Marie may have suffered an epileptic fit. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating.