FAMILY and friends gathered yesterday to pay emotional tributes to a popular teenage girl who died suddenly last month.

More than 400 people attended a memorial service for Camilla Jane Irvine, known as Milla, from Newton-le-Willows, near Bedale, North Yorkshire.

The student, who would have celebrated her 17th birthday this month, died on September 25 after being found unconscious a friend’s home in Scorton, near Richmond.

Yesterday’s service, at St Mary’s Church, Masham, was attended by Milla’s parents, David and Wendy, her younger brother, George, and many friends.

In a moving tribute, Mr Irvine said the tragedy was “almost too painful to talk about”.

He said: “We may never really know why our beautiful, happy, talented daughter did not wake up.

“That she was safe, happy, warm and with her friends is of some small comfort to us.

“We are only now beginning to understand how many people loved and cared for her.”

Mr Irvine proudly remembered how Milla had scored 100 per cent in her GCSE art exam and how she enjoyed “friends, clothes, handbags, bling and all the paraphernalia of a teenage girl”.

He described the bond between his children, saying Milla viewed George, who paid his own thoughtful tribute, as both a brother and a friend.

Milla was described as an accomplished jockey, who loved her horse and took pride in caring for it.

A private funeral was held following the teenager’s death, with yesterday’s service described as a celebration of her life.

The decision to hold the service during the half-term holidays meant large numbers of friends, both from Ripon Grammar School, where Milla sat her GCSEs, and Richmond School, where she was a sixth form student, could attend.

The congregation was encouraged to attend the service wearing brightly-coloured clothes.

Other tributes in the 70- minute service included the recital of a poem about Milla, as well performances by local band The Weeknights and friends Naomi Brown and Charlotte O’Donovan, who sang the Bruno Mars hit Just the Way You Are.

■ The Northern Echo attended yesterday’s service with the permission of Milla’s family.