FRIENDS and family have paid tribute to a ‘unique’ and ‘popular’ teenager who died suddenly of heart failure at a bus stop.

Charlotte Hamer, known as Charlie, had been looking forward to her wedding with fiancé Ben Winfield when she collapsed and despite efforts to resuscitate her she was pronounced dead in hospital.

The 18-year-old’s loved ones were then told that an autopsy found a previously undiagnosed heart defect.

Charlotte’s sister Rebekha, 21, paid tribute and recalled her sister starting school after the family moved to Poole from Salisbury in 2004.

“She started at Hamworthy Middle School,” said Rebekha, who still lives in Poole.

“When we first moved she was so scared she wouldn’t make any friends but she turned out to be so popular.”

Charlie moved to Oxfordshire in 2009 and met her fiancé working in Sainsbury’s there.

She died in Whitney Town centre on April 19 and her friends from Poole have been remembering their time together.

Her friend Chantelle Brown, who had been friends with Charlie since they started doing drama together at the age of 14, said: “She got on with everybody. She was the most genuine girl ever.”

Chelsea Robson, a friend from when Charlie was at Carter Community School in Hamworthy, said: “She always had a unique style and even when she became popular she never changed.

“People loved her for who she was.

“She was a year below us in school but she struck a chord with our group.

“We all remember and liked her. It was difficult not to.”

And Steve Adams, who was Charlie’s tutor for four years at the school, said: “She was a lovely young lady who worked extremely hard to do well in her GCSEs.

“She was a good historian and RE student and a lot more mature than her age.”

Hazel Christopher, vice-chairman of Poole-based Maverick Youth Arts, said Charlie had taken part in several productions.

“She was a well liked and popular member of the group who always had a camera in her hand to take candid shots,” she said.

Craig Finlay, a friend from Maverick, said he had lots of happy memories of Charlie and kept in touch after she moved.

He said she had recently been ‘happier than she’d ever been’.