She packed 100 years of life into 25

Heather's mother, Myra, of Billington, was supposed to spend last Saturday celebrating Heather's 26th birthday at the end of a 10-day holiday in Southern Ireland.

Instead, she was with Heather's father, Brian Schofield, of Accrington, preparing for her only daughter's funeral after the Easter Monday tragedy off the coast of Dingle, in County Kerry.

Heather, who had moved to work as geography teacher at Moorland School in Clitheroe from Gawthorpe High School in Padiham last September, drowned after taking part in a dive organised by a local diving centre.

Myra said Heather was one of seven who went out to sea that day, and Heather had dived with another person. She said it was only when they did a headcount at the end of the dive that they realised someone was missing.

Later that day, Heather's body was pulled out of the sea - with Myra, a former nurse at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, watching.

Myra, of Painter Wood, Billington, said: "It was the most awful thing imaginable. We had had a wonderful few days together, travelling and meeting up with friends.

"She had been excited about the possibility of seeing the Dingle dolphin, which often comes to divers' boats.

"When I went to pick Heather up, they said there had been an emergency.

"Our friends kept saying Heather would be safe and walking around somewhere trying to make contact with us after getting out of the water, but she wasn't.

"I have no idea how it happened. Heather was an experienced diver. She had 110 per cent common sense." Heather attended Westholme School before going to St Martin's College, Lancaster, and then trained to be a teacher. While at university, she had spent three summers working at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, and had travelled the world watching sport. Through friends, she met many of the world's biggest names.

She had been living with her mother in Billington until 18 months ago, when she moved into her own home in Whalley Road, Hurst Green. Myra said: "She was incredibly happy. She had got involved in the community there and was enjoying living there. She loved her job and had been working on taking the youngsters on a diving holiday later this year."

Heather, a leading member in East Lancashire's Rotaract charity organisation, co-ordinated the 2002 Blackburn bonfire, before moving to Ribble Valley Rotaract after moving to the area.

Myra said: "Everyone has been wonderful in their support. Right from the community in Dingle, who supported me so well, to our friends, Heather's friends, and everybody here."

Brian, who used to run Prospect House Residential Home for the elderly in Accrington with Myra, still lives in the town.

He said: "She was wonderful. We were so proud of her, and felt so lucky to have her. We can't believe she's gone, but we know she'd have done every safety check properly before going into the water.

"She was always on the go, never stopping. She crammed 100 years of life into 25."

Police in Ireland are still investigating the cause of Heather's death, and an inquest is due in the next few months. Her funeral takes place next Monday at 11am at Whalley Parish Church.