EXPERTS are examining diving equipment used by an East Lancashire teacher who died in an accident off the coast of Ireland.

The specialist firm has been brought in to help with the case of Heather Schofield, of Hurst Green, Ribble Valley, who died on Easter Monday.

The geography teacher at Moorland School, Clitheroe, arranged the diving trip off the coast of Dingle in County Kerry while in Eire with her mother Myra, of Painter Wood, Billington.

A former teacher at Gawthorpe High School, Padiham, Heather had been a pupil at Westholme School. Her parents, Myra and Brian, formerly ran Prospect House Residential Home in Accrington.

The 25-year-old had joined up with a dive party at a diving centre before setting out with them in a dinghy.

Heather opted to dive with one other person from the seven-strong group, but when she failed to surface with her 'dive buddy' the group returned to shore and raised the alarm.

Coastguards scoured the area before Heather's body was pulled to shore as grief-stricken former nurse Myra looked on.

Irish Garda sergeant Mossie O'Donnell said: "As part of the investigation we are conducting on behalf of the coroner, we have asked a specialist firm to look at the equipment which she was wearing when she was diving.

"The results of their investigation will be presented to us and included in the evidence we present to the coroner."

No date has been set for the inquest hearing, which will be held in either Dingle or the nearest large town, Traille.

Sgt O'Donnell added: "The investigation is all but concluded on our part and I do not expect any criminal charges to follow. Our evidence will be used by the coroner to determine cause of death."