THE family and friends of Anna-Lee Kehoe have paid tribute to the 13-year-old Sir John Colfox student who died suddenly at the weekend.

It is believed the teenager, who suffered from asthma, died of a heart attack. She had been playing on her Xbox at her home in Queens Road, Bridport, on Friday and had not even had a sniffle, her dad Tony said.

He said: “I was speaking to her 10 minutes before and she was fine, she then just got up and said ‘Mum, I can’t breathe’ and that was that.”

Oldest sister Robyn, 23, said Anna was taken to hospital and put on a life support machine. She said: “She suffered from asthma and it triggered a heart attack which stopped the oxygen to her brain, which left her brain dead. She didn’t have any symptoms that day.

“The doctors told us it was the asthma that caused the heart attack. It happened Friday night but she actually passed on Saturday afternoon.

“She was already brain dead but they just kept her on the machine until we could say our goodbyes.”

Robyn said Anna-Lee was a great sister. She said: “She was loud, bubbly and outgoing. She made everyone smile. She knew what she wanted. She was strong minded. She wanted to do travel and tourism I think and was planning on college.

“She had a boyfriend she’d been going out with for a few months.”

Robyn said they were a close family – and she was trying to stay strong for her other sisters, Holly, 20, Tamsin, 19 and brother Jake, 17.

“I am the oldest and I have to be strong for everyone else.”

There will be a funeral and memorial service in St Mary’s Church but no date has been arranged until after the results of an autopsy, added Robyn.

Sir John Colfox School headteacher Kay Taylor said: “It is a real tragedy to see such a young life ended so suddenly my heart goes out to her friends and family.”

Anna-Lee joined Sir John Colfox School in Year 8.