Post-mortem after schoolgirl dies

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Family and friends have been paying tribute after a 15-year-old girl died hours after coming home from a party.

Stephanie Lees, from Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, fell ill after attending an 18th birthday party at a hotel in Montrose, Angus, last Friday.

Her parents found her seriously ill in bed the next day and she was pronounced dead at the scene by an ambulance crew.

Police said they were treating the death as "unexplained" and were waiting for post-mortem examination results.

Staff at the Links Hotel said they checked all teenagers to make sure they had not smuggled alcohol into the venue.

They have now banned 18th birthday parties because of the tragedy.

Gordon Miller, rector at Mearns Academy where Stephanie had been a pupil, said staff at the school had been "very shocked" to hear the news when they returned on Monday after the summer break.

'Popular pupil'

"It is a difficult time," he added.

"Stephanie had done very well in her Standard Grades and hoped to go to college.

"She was a very well-behaved and popular pupil.

"Her death is a tragedy. Our thoughts go out to her family at this time."

The death is being treated as unexplained at present Grampian Police

Mr Miller added that counselling would be available for pupils when they returned to school.

A spokesman for Grampian Police said: "We are investigating the death of a teenage girl in Laurencekirk.

"An ambulance was called around 10am on Saturday to the 15-year-old's home by her family after she took ill.

"The ambulance crew pronounced the girl dead at the scene. The death is being treated as unexplained at present.

"As is normal in such circumstances a post mortem is being carried out to establish the cause of death."

He added that a report would be sent to the procurator fiscal.