A school in Buckinghamshire has paid tribute to 12-year-old Sunnah Khan after her tragic death following an incident at Bournemouth beach.

Sunnah, who lived in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, passed away following an incident in the water near Bournemouth Pier on Wednesday, May 31.

A spokesperson from her school, Bourne End Academy, described her as an 'energetic' student with a 'bold and happy personality'.

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They said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that one of our students, Sunnah Khan, died during the half-term break.

“As a student, Sunnah grew in confidence over her first 10 months at Bourne End. She developed a bold and happy personality which resonated through the school community.

“Her energetic character and fierce sense of loyalty meant that she had built strong and positive relationships with her peers and teachers. She will be enormously missed.

“Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends during this difficult time and in due course we will share details of a fitting memorial for Sunnah.”

Adding: “For now, our immediate priority has been to make sure we have support in place for our students and staff to help them come to terms with what has happened, including through specialist counselling.

“The death of any child is a terrible tragedy, but our school community will come together to grieve and be there for each other.”

Many others have also paid tribute to the schoolgirl, with many friends leaving messages online.

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The 12-year-old's mother, Stephanie Williams, also paid tribute to her daughter, writing on Twitter: “Sunnah was so well loved and well liked. No parent should ever have to go through what her dad and I are going through.”

Sunnah died alongside 17-year-old Joe Abbess from Southampton, who has been described by his family as a "fabulous young man".

Eight other people were also rescued from Bournemouth Pier with non-life-threatening injuries.

An inquest held at Bournemouth Town Hall this morning (June 5) revealed that the two children died of "drowning" following "suggestions" that they were caught in a riptide off Bournemouth beach.