A 13-year-old girl has died after falling off a child's scooter near her Merseyside home.
Megan Hopwood was found unconscious at around 9pm on Saturday evening, and was pronounced dead at Whiston Hospital a short time later.
Her heartbroken mum Nicola told her local paper that Megan had gone out on the scooter with no shoes or coat on, and that she presumes she fell from it as she went around a corner.
"We don't really know how she died. It wasn't an electric scooter. She had a little graze underneath her chin. We presume she knocked herself out and choked," her mum said.
Dad Paul paid tribute to the schoolgirl, saying she was 'just a friendly, lovely girl'.
"Everyone knew her. She was always out with her friends and walking around. No-one had a bad word to say about her," he said.
Friends of the tragic teenager have lined the road close to her home with floral tributes and teddy bears, while her school, Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning, issued a statement describing Megan as a 'bright, shining star'.
"We are greatly saddened by the loss of Megan Hopwood who was a bright, shining star in Year 9," principal Stuart Jamieson said.
"Megan was a very popular student and was an outstanding member of our school student leadership team. She was always willing to give her time to help others and she will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this heartbreaking time."
Whiston Coroner's Office confirmed a post-mortem to establish the cause of Megan's death will take place today (Tuesday), while a police investigation remains ongoing.